


Spirited Away

by JadynRosetta



Series: Ghibli x Klance crossovers [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Haggar as Yubaba, I'll think of that later, Keith as Haku, Lance as Chihiro, M/M, Shiro as Rin, Spirited Away AU, idk who no face is, original go lion names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-08 21:30:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12873429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadynRosetta/pseuds/JadynRosetta
Summary: A Spirited Away au where Lance is Chihiro who, while moving to a new town, lost his parents in the world of the spirits.  Now he has to save his parents while surviving in the world of the spirits in a bathhouse ruled by the witch Haggar.





	1. Enter the World of Spirits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm still working on "Hiding Behind a Mask" but I went on ifunny and said I would do this for fifty bucks. (I'm sure it was a joke but I'll post it anyways). I plan on this being three chapters, and I've been playing the movie while typing this so it's tiring just to type this. Hope you enjoy this first chapter.

A long and very boring car ride to some new town with barely anyone, sounds horrible for a kid moving here.  Which was what the young man was thinking as he was holding his flowers close while his family took him from his old home and friends.  He read the note on his flowers again.

 _‘We’ll miss you Lance, from your best friend Ezor.’_  He held them close to his chest and curls back into the seat.

“This place is literally in the middle of nowhere, I’ll have to go to the town over to do all my shopping.”  His mom said.

“Well you’ll have to learn to like it.”  His dad said in a more joking manner.  He perks up.  “See that Lance?  That’s your new school right there.”  Trying to cheer him up, even the mom spoke up.

“It doesn’t look so bad.”  Lance looks outside and made a stink eye at the school, appropriate for a kid his age, that being almost seventeen.  He slouches back down in the back seat.

“It’s gonna stink, I wanna go home.”  He looks back at his bouquet and panics.  “Mom my flowers are dying!”  He whines as he waves the flowers around.  His mom looks at him.

“Lance I told you not to smother them.  We can put them in a vase when we get to the house.”  Lance leans against his mother’s shoulder and pouts, she saw the card fell on her lap and looks at it.

“I finally get a bouquet and it’s a goodbye present.”  He says as he falls back in his seat.

“Your father got you a rose for your birthday, don’t you remember?”  She asks.

“Yeah one, one isn’t a bouquet.”  He tells her.

“Hold onto your card, I’m opening the window, and quit whining.  A boy your age shouldn’t whine.”  She says as she hands him his card, he shoves it in his pocket.  “It’s fun to move to new places Lance-”  He bangs fly out of his miserable face.  “-It’s an adventure.”  They kept driving, his father turning on another road that lead to a hill.  They kept going till they hit a grassy area with trees and no road.  His father pokes his head out his window and looks around.

“Wait… did I take a wrong turn?”  He asks as his wife looks around, and his son still slouching in his seat.  “This can’t be right…”

“Look, there’s our house.”  The mother said, both boys look outside.  “It’s that blue one up there.”  They kept staring at the hill with no road.

“Oh you’re right, must’ve missed the turnoff.”  Lance looks outside at the rocks, he was kind of surprised by their odd shape, like little homes.

“We’ll take this road here, should get us there.”

“Honey don’t take a shortcut you always get us lost.”  As they argued Lance kept staring at the rocks.

“What’s with all those rocks?  They look like little houses…”  Lance said, his mother looks over at them.

“Those are shrines, people believe little spirits live in them.”  They kept driving down the road surrounded by trees.  After a bit Lance had to speak up.

“Dad I think we’re lost.”

“No we’re not, we’ve got four wheel drive.”  He said, his wife next to him with the most unamused face ever, screaming ‘we’re lost’.  They hit a bump, Lance squeaks and about fell over.

“Sit down Sweetie.”  His mom told him without looking at him.  They kept driving, his dad suddenly speeding up.  The road became bumpy and Lance fell back, all their stuff bouncing around him.  He was gonna die, at least he thought.

He saw some statue as they sped by.  Then it got faster, he squeals and held onto the back seat looking at his dad, his mom panicking.

“Honey Honey!”  They sped through some trees, his dad with a determined face while the other two were writing their wills in their heads.  “Look out you’re going to kill us!”

He noticed a small rock in front of a red building.

“What the-?”  He stops in front of it, bringing the car to a screeching halt.  He looks out, everyone looks up.

“What is this place?”  The mother asks, his dad got out with an adventurous look.

“Looks like an entrance.”  He said as he walks out.  She pokes her head out as Lance steps out.

“Honey come back in the car, we’re gonna be late!”  She calls, Lance shuts the door and puts his flowers back in gently.  “Lance!”  He runs to his dad’s side.  “Oh for heaven’s sake.”  She groans.

Lance was behind his dad and watched him move his hand up the wall.

“This building isn’t old, it’s fake.”  He explained, Lance looks at him with curiosity.  “These stones are just made of plaster.”

The wind began to blow, Lance looks down at the ground.  He held himself as everything went into the entrance.  He looks back up as his mother walks up.

“The winds pulling us in.”

“What is it?”  She asks.

“Come on.”  His dad smiles.  “I wanna see what’s on the other side.”  That made Lance tense up and panic.

“I-I’m not going!  That place is freaky, it’s giving me the creeps!”  Lance is not one for scary, he can’t even handle the dark sometimes.  His father gave him a playful smile.

“Don’t be such a scaredy cat Lance, let’s just take a look.”  He said, his wife looks at the entrance.

“The movers will get to our place before we do.”

“It’s all right, they’ve got the keys.  They can start without us.”  Lance looks at his dad and pouts.  His mother crosses her arms.

“All right, a quick look.”

“Forget it, I’m not going!”  Lance shouts making both his parents jump, he ran back to the car.  He looks back at them.  “Come on, let’s just go!”

“Come on son, it’ll be fun.”  His dad tried to convince him to join.  Lance balls his hands up into fists and refused.

“I’m not going!”  He glares, then slowly looks at the creepy statue.  He tensed and slowly backed away, it made him uncomfortable.  He heard his parents walking in.  He gasps as he watches them disappear.  His mom looking at him with a done face.

“Wait in the car then.”  With that she walks in.  Lance pouts and started throwing a mini tantrum.

“B-But Mom!”  He whines.  He looks back at the creepy statue, he backed off then ran after them.  “Wait for me guys!”  His mom stops and lets him catch up, he latches himself on her arm and moved forward.  His dad smiles and waits for them.

“Watch your step everyone.”

“Lance don’t cling to me like that, you’re going to trip me.”  His mother complains.  The three walked in the creepy building, Lance clinging to his mother like she’s life support.  Following close behind his dad the three found the light in the distance, an exit.

They walked in and saw a room full of benches and dust.  It was lit up by the sun shining through colorful windows, they looked around with curiosity.  Lance looks at his father.

“What is this place?”  He asks as his mom puts her hand to her ear, she heard something.  Both boys perked up as they heard a faint sound of train tracks going by, then it fades into the distance.  Bringing the peace and quiet back.  Lance looks at him mother.

“It sounded like a train.”  He said with a smile and obvious excitement.  This wasn’t so bad.

“We must be near a station.”  She said happily, his father looks back at them with the same fond smile.

“Come on, let’s go check it out.”  He said, his wife close behind.  Lance’s face went back to scared.  He held his mother’s sleeve and followed.  He looks back from where they came from and swallows, he had a bad feeling.

They walked outside and were in awe by what surrounded them.  Statues that looked to be buried in a beautiful grassy field, and a path of dirt that lead to some old buildings that were in the distance.

Lance let’s go of his mother’s sleeve and looks at the buildings, his hair blowing out of his face.

“What are those buildings?”  He asks.

“I knew it.”  The two look at the father.  “It’s an abandoned theme park, see?”  He looks up at a clock tower, the other two looked up as well.  “They build them everywhere in the early nineties, then well the economy went bad… and they all went bankrupt.”  He began to walk away.  “This must be one of them.”

“Where are you going?”  He asks, his parents kept walking.  “Let’s just go back!”  He pouts as they kept walking, he didn’t bother to call them back.  The wind blew more violently, Lance turned and stared at the clock tower.  He tensed up and ran to his parents.  “Did you guys hear that?!  The building, it was moaning!”

“It’s just the wind Lance.”  His mother said in a tired voice, she smiles as she walked.  “What a beautiful place~  We should’ve brought our lunch then we could’ve had a picnic.”  Lance stares at his mom like she was nuts.

They found a tiny stream with some rocks blocking the water flow.  His father held his arm out for his mom.

“Look they were planning to build a river here.”  He said, then he sniffed the air.  His mother took his arm and runs into him, looking up at her husband wondering what he was doing.

“Ya smell that?”  He asks.  “Something smells delicious.”  His mother smells too.

“You’re right… and I’m starving.”  She says with a smile.

“Maybe this theme park is still in business, let’s go.”

“Okay.”  The two followed the wonderful scent while Lance was still struggling to get over the rocks, he was tall but that wasn’t saving him.  “Lance hurry up.”  Lance was holding onto a rock while stepping on another rock, trying hard not to slip.

“H-Hey!”  He couldn’t believe his parents were running ahead of him.  “Wait a minute!”  He braved it and jumped forward.  Landing safely he runs after his parents who were at the top of the stairs.

A the top they were surrounded by odd yet colorful buildings, weird statues and stalls.  It was abnormal but it was a theme park so it made sense.  His dad trucks it up a few more stairs determined to get some food.  He sniffs the air and points to his left, his wife and son hadn’t even made it up yet.

“Over here.”  He calls, the two follow.  Lance runs to catch up with his dad.  They walked up to more unusual buildings.  Lance looks around while his father kept sniffing.  The buildings were so odd.  “This way.”

Lance saw his parents already walking away, Lance ran after them again.  His mother noticed something.

“Odd, these places… they’re all restaurants.”  She said, Lance looks at her.

“Then where is everybody?”  He asked in more of a quiet voice.  He was getting the creeps, he knew he shouldn’t have gone in there.  It’s abandoned, it’s windy, it has food, and it’s scaring the crap out of him.

His dad stops and smiles.

“There it is!”  He runs, a man on a mission.  That mission was food.  He waves his family over.  “Look!  I found it!”  He disappears into the little shack.  He smiles at all the food, there was a lot and it looked so good.  His dad peaks out of the shack.  “Check this out, you’ve got to see it.”

Lance slowly walks around, he held himself while looking at everything.  This was really weird and his parents think nothing of it.

“Wow.”  His mother smiles.  “Look at all this.”

“Hello in there!”  His dad began to shout.  Lance walks up behind them and watches, he didn’t want to enter.  “Does anybody work here?!”  He continues to shout as his mother sat down.

“Come in here Lance, it looks delicious.”  She said happily.  Lance shook his head, he refused to eat it, no matter how good it looked.

“Anybody?!”  The entire shack looked empty, not another person in sight.  His dad was worried but his wife calmed his nerves.

“Don’t worry Honey, we can the bill when they get back.”  She said as she looks at the meat in front of her.

“Good plan, hey that looks good.”  His dad marches over to get a plate.  His mom sniffs the meat, it looked like little chickens.

“I wonder what this is called.”  She said as she takes a bite.  Her eyes lit up, she looks back at her son happily.  “Oh Lance you’ve gotta try this, it’s wonderful!”  He shook his head.

“No, I don’t want any.  We’re gonna get in trouble!”  He says.  “Guys please, let’s just get out of here!”

“Don’t worry!”  His dad calls while filling three plates.  “You’ve got Daddy here, he’s got credit cards and cash!”  He places the plates down and sat next to his wife.  He reaches for sauce and chopsticks.

“Lance you’ve gotta try this, it’s so tender.”

“Mm-mm!”  He shook his head and held himself tighter.  His dad hands his mom the sauce.

“Mustard?”

“Thank you.”  They kept eating.  Shoving the food in their mouths like they’ve been starved for months, almost like pigs.  It was disgusting and Lance was beyond scared that they were going to get in trouble.

“Come on you guys!  You can’t!”  He whines.  They ignored him and kept eating, even taking more food in front of them.  Lance slowly lets go of himself and stares his family down.  Frustrated he storms off deeper into the amusement park.  He was anything if not a little curious… even if the place creeped him out.

It’s like going into a haunted house, it’s scares you but at the same time you want to keep going.

He looks at a random sign on top of the stairs.  He looks back at his parents, realizing they’re still stuffing themselves.  He breathes out of his nose and walks to the sign.  Cocking his head to the side as he read it.  No idea what the heck it is, then he looks over to his side and gasps.  A shrine, or a temple… just a building was on the other side of the bridge.

He noticed smoke coming out of it, so someone’s in there.

“That’s weird.”  Because that’s a normal reaction, an almost abandoned place and one random building has smoke coming from it.  He walks towards it, not even on the bridge he looks at the building.  Windows you can barely see through, smoke and water falling off the rocks inside.  Now Lance knows what this building is.

“It’s a bathhouse.”  He said out loud.  Lance walks on the bridge and walks towards the edge of it.  It had a red fence on it but Lance bends down and sticks his head through the opening.  A train was going by below.  “Well there’s the train…”  He says.  He runs to the other side of the bridge and looks down the other side.

Then he felt weird… like someone or something was watching him.  He really didn’t want to look, he wanted to ignore it but… he turned slowly.

A guy about his age was standing there, staring him down.  He wore white and blue tasuki, so he must be a worker here.  He had black hair that looked like a mullet but it didn’t look bad on him, and purple eyes.  He looks at Lance in shock, like he was surprised to see him.  Then his shock turns to anger and walks towards him.

“You shouldn’t be here.”  He kept walking.  “Get out of here now!”

“What?”  Lance got down and looks at him.

“It’s almost night.”  He said.  “Leave before it gets dark!”  A little too late, it suddenly grew dark… that was fast.  The house lit up suddenly, the boy panics.  “They’re lighting the lamps…”  He grabs Lance’s shoulder and pushes him across the bridge.

“You’ve got to get out of here!  I’ll distract them!”  Lance looks back at him as he ran, the boy blew on his fingers and released something that looked like scales.  He didn’t know nor did he care, he was out of there.  Creepy place?  Ha, he chooses life!

That boy seemed scared, he obviously didn’t want Lance there and Lance didn’t want to be there anyways.  Lance did look back though, slightly curious on how this random boy treated him.

“What was up with him?”  He shook it off and kept running.

The lights came on all around him.  The small place was coming to life around him, he noticed something very strange.  Shadow people were roaming around, Lance was practically panicking.  He needed his parents.

“Mom!  Dad!”  He calls for them, they were still eating like pigs.  He grabs his dad and shakes him.  “Come on quit eating!  Let’s get out of here!”  He begs.  His dad turns to look at him.  Lance couldn’t believe it, his parents… turned into actual pigs.

He lets go and backed away.  His now pig father looks back at the table and reached for scraps.  Some food and what looked like squid ink fell off.  Lance covered his nose, then slowly looked up.  Someone was beating his father, he fell over.  Lance screams and backs away, he ran off.

The shadow people surrounded him, he looks for any sign of an actual human being.

“MOM DAD!”  He calls.  “WHERE ARE YOU?!”  He notices all the shadows staring at him, he felt so scared.  He held himself again and cried.  “MOMMY!”  He noticed one walking too close and he ran off.

He couldn’t see his parents anywhere, he kept running past the shadows hoping they won’t touch him.  Screaming whenever he about ran into one himself.  He made it to the exit and passed the statue of a frog.

He didn’t notice water pouring out of his mouth.  He runs down and falls into the water, it was already at his waist.  He looks around in disbelief.

“Water?!”  He got out and turns to look at it.  Lights in the distance, water all around him.  He was trapped.  The lights in the distance weren’t even a place he knew.  He felt like crying.

“Wha…”  This couldn’t be real, this has to be a dream.  He fell asleep in the car that’s it.  “I’M DREAMING, I’M DREAMING!”  He hits his head multiple times, hoping that’ll wake him up… short answer it didn’t.  “COME ON WAKE UP WAKE UP!”  He shook his head around, he was desperate.  He fell on the ground and hid his face in his knees.  He cried quietly.  “Wake up…”

A boat closes in, Lance didn’t bother to look up.  He bounced on his feet and stayed hidden in his knees.  Curled up in a safe little ball as he muttered to himself.

“It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream Lance.  Go away, disappear.”  He looks down at his feet then stood quickly.  He held his hands out, he could see the boat through his hands.  “I’m see through!”  He rubs his hands together and now his arm is see through.  “WAH!  J-Just a bad dream!”

The boat landed and passengers were leaving.  Lance was shocked, they weren’t people, not at all.  They had faces and their bodies formed when they got to land.  Lance backs away into the darkness hoping they don’t see him.  There were so many weird creatures docking, he panics and runs off.

He climbs up the hill, fell flat on his stomach, got up and kept running.  Amazing what fear can do to a person.  He ran behind a building and hid.

Meanwhile the young man he ran into was sneaking around trying to find him.  He saw Lance curled up and hiding in his knees again, slowly disappearing.

He walks over and grabs Lance’s shoulders gently, bringing him closer.  Lance jumps and panics at the boy.  He was so scared and confused right now, he just wanted his parents.  They boy spoke softly.

“Don’t be afraid, I just want to help you.”  He said.  Lance tensed up and shook his head.

“No no no no-”  The boy let him cry as he held what looked like a berry up.

“Eat this.”  He said, Lance continued to shake his head.  “You have to- look if you don’t eat something from here you’ll disappear.”  He was getting frustrated but he had to stay quiet so they didn’t get caught.

“NO!”  Or Lance could give himself away…  Lance tried pushing the boy away, to his surprise he went through the boy.  The boy looked unfazed by that, even though Lance’s arm was going through his face.  The boy almost laughed.

“Don’t worry.”  He pushes it against Lance’s lips, Lance turned away refusing to eat it.  It was forced in his mouth.  “It won’t turn you into a pig.  Chew it and swallow.”  Lance didn’t like how it tasted.

It was disgusting, but he did what the boy told him and swallowed.

“There, you’re all better.”  He held his free hand up.  “See?”  Lance looks at the boys hand, he slowly and gently pressed his fingers against the boy’s palm.  He was solid again.

The boy looks at him with a soft smile, Lance looks up at him with surprise.

“I-I’m okay.”

“Ya see?”  The boy took Lance’s hand in both of his.  “Now come with me.”  He said as he got up.  Lance held onto his arm.

“B-But my parents!  Where are they?!”  He asks him.  “T-They didn’t really turn into pigs, right?!”  He was about to cry.  The boy looks at him.

“You can’t see them yet.  But I promise you will soon.”  Suddenly he looks up at the sky, he looks back at Lance.  He quickly got on Lance’s level and pushed his body up against his, shielding him.  “Don’t move.”   A big creepy bird flies around, the boy watches it fly around.  Lance was more focused on the fact a cute guy was very very close to him.

The bird flies off.

“That bird… it’s looking for you.”  He said as he stood.  “We’ve gotta get you out of here.  Come on!”  Lance tried to stand but he couldn’t.  His legs refused to work.

“M-My legs!  They won’t move!”  The boy looks back, surprised he’s not that annoyed yet.  “Help me!  What do I do?”  He got on Lance’s level again.

“Calm down and take a deep breath.”  He puts his hand on Lance’s bare leg.  “In the name of wind and water within me, unbind him.”  He says quietly as a light glows on Lance’s leg.  “There.  Get up.”  Lance stood quickly.

The boy took Lance’s hand and ran with him, Lance was surprised how fast they were running.  They went into an alley, the boy commands a door open.  It does and they run through, quickly going down some stairs, Lance was about to fall over due to how quick this guy was moving.

They ran through the storage place for fish, a cooler, a bunch of pigs, he wonders if his parents were in there, and near the bathhouse.

A man was welcoming all the weird creatures in as they entered the bathhouse.

“You have to hold your breath as you cross.”  The boy said as he opens a little gate.  “Even the tiniest breath will break the spell, and then they’ll see you.”  He closes the gate behind Lance.  He saw all the creatures crossing, out of fear he clung to the boys arm.  Wrapping his own around him.

“I-I’m scared.”

“Stay calm.”  He instructs.  Yeah, stay calm when there are freaks everywhere.  The things welcoming the creatures were frogs.  They kept saying welcome then caught a glimpse of the boy.

“Ah welcome back Master Akira.”  He ignored them.

“Now take a deep breath.”  Lance did as he was told and took a deep breath holding it.  “Hold it.”  Lance held onto his face to keep himself from breathing.  He noticed a creepy figure staring at him, or this boy whichever.

He began to whine in discomfort, longing to breath.  He heard a few women welcoming the creatures in.

“Hang on, we’re almost there.”  He reassures Lance.  They were almost across the bridge.

“Master Akira!”  Someone calls.  A frog hops in.  “Where ya been?”  The frog made Lance gasp for breath.  The frog stops and stares at Lance.  “Wha- a human?!”

This “Akira” forced the frog into a bubble and grabs Lance’s arm.

“Let’s go!”  He flies off the ground and quickly hid in a little garden area.  Closing the door so no one would follow.  The frog drops and wonders what had just happened.

Akira leads Lance down in the garden and hid behind a few bushes, meanwhile people are running around in the building calling for him.  Desperately trying to find him.  He held Lance close and stares at the door between the bushes leaves.

“They know you’re here.”  He said.

“I-I’m really sorry… I breathed.”  Lance apologized, he honestly felt bad.  Akira looks at him with kind eyes.

“No Lance, you did well.”  He said.  “Now listen to me, and listen very carefully cause I’ll only say it once.”  He said.  “You cannot stay here, they’ll find you.  And you’ll never get to rescue your parents.”

Lance was about to cry, he had to save them.  Akira wasn’t very good at comforting people.

“I’ll create a diversion while you escape.”

“No!”  Lance grabs onto him.  “Don’t leave me!  Please I don’t want to be alone in this place!”  He cries.  Akira grabs both of Lance’s hands and held them close.

“You have no choice if you want to save your parents.”  He said, Lance’s eyes went wide.

“They did turn into pigs… I-I wasn’t dreaming.”  Akira pushes Lance’s bangs back, pressing a finger on his head as images flew through.  Akira instructs Lance.

“Now listen.”  He starts.  “When things here quiet down, go down to the back gate.  Go all the way down the stairs till you reach the boiler room.  There you’ll find Matt the boiler man and his sister Pidge.”  He pulls back, Lance looks at Akira.

“M-Matt?”  He wanted to know for sure that was the boiler man’s name.  Akira nods.

“Tell him you want to work here, even if he refuses you must insist.  His sister will refuse too, so try to convince them both.”  He got closer to Lance.  “If you don’t get a job, Haggar will turn you into an animal.”

“Hag-gar.”  That name sounded weird to Lance.

“She’s a witch, the one that runs the bathhouse.”  Akira explained.  “Matt will try to turn you away or trick you into leaving.  Just keep asking for work.”  Lance felt himself tear up, he was going to cry again.  “It’ll be hard work, but you’ll be able to stay.  Then even Haggar can’t hurt you.”  The two stay quiet for a moment.

“Master Akira?!”

“Master Akira!”  The people inside kept calling for him.  He looks back at the building annoyed.

“I’ve gotta go.”  He looks back at Lance.  “And don’t forget Lance, I’m your friend.”  He stood, Lance still held onto his arms.

“Wait.”  Akira looks down.  “How did you know my name?”

“I’ve known you since you were very small.”  Akira said with a smile.  “Good luck.  And whatever you do, don’t make a sound.”  He stood up and walks towards the building of people yelling for him.  “Calm down you idiots, I’m coming in.”  He snaps.

His whole personality changed.  They let him in.

“Master Akira, Haggar wants to see you.”

“Yeah I know, about my mission right?”  With that he disappears.  Lance waited for it to go quiet, then got up and and snuck to the stairs.  Following the path Akira showed him in his head.  He snuck through to the stairs… a lot of stairs, that lead to the boiler room.  They looked unsafe but Lance had no other choice.

He swallows the lump in his throat and slowly slid his but to the first step, then the second and he was going to die before reaching the bottom.  He slipped and fell down one step, that hurt.  He saw how much farther he had to go.  Seeing how far he had to go he braved it and stood on the stairs.  He got his footing and then the step broke, he screams as he fell.  He got ahold of his footing and bolts down the stairs, screaming like a girl and throwing his arms in the air.

He kept running and soon enough ran face first into a stone wall.  He slowly pulls away and breathes heavily.  He heard a window open and saw a frog man poke his head out to smoke a cigarette, Lance tensed up and slowly moved away.

He made it down the last stone steps and saw a green door, hoping it was the boiler room he open it and walks in.  He walks in a little ways till he saw someone near the fire grinding something and a girl watching little fuzzy things run by.  The fuzzy things were throwing coal into the fire.  They looked so cute and innocent.

The girl takes some weird pink things and hands it to the boy, he threw it on and kept grinding the plant up.  The girl moved a lever and spun something around while the boy rung some sort of bell.  The two moved as one, it was weird.  The girl smacks her hands against the table, all the fuzzy things seem to obey her and run into their holes.  Lance saw an opportunity to walk in and see the two.

“Um hello.”  Lance said awkwardly.  The boy looks over at a glass and drinks it.  He hands it to the girl and did the same thing.  They continued to work.  “Excuse me, one of you… is your name Matt?”  The girl looks at Lance without saying a thing, she had some sort of sass to her look and posture.  She taps the boy in front of her to get his attention.

“Eh?”  The boy looks over at Lance, he wasn’t bad looking and the girl looked almost identical to him.  She must be the sister, Pidge.  Matt leans in and stares Lance down.  He rubs his arms awkwardly and spoke.

“Akira told me that I could get a job here so can I have a job please?”  He asks quickly.  As he said that four red things on ribbons came down, Matt stares at them and grumbles.

“Damn, four bath tokens at once.”  He said.  Pidge smacks the bell.

“Come on you guys, let’s get moving!”  She shouts.  Matt spoke up.

“Yes I’m Matt the one who warms the baths, and this is Pidge my sister.  She controls the little runts who throw the coal in.”  He says as she shouts again.

“Come on ya fuzzy rats, let’s get moving!”  She shouts.  Lance looks at Matt.

“Please, I’ve gotta get a job here!”  He whines.  Pidge glares at him.

“We don’t need any help, we’ve got it all under control, and all the workers we need.”  She gestures towards the fuzzy things as they crawl out with coal.  Lance gets out of their way and watches them crawl over to the fire.  Pidge began to spin a wheel while Matt continued to grind whatever they were making.

One fuzzy thing ran into Lance’s shoe, he lifts his foot up.

“Oh sorry.”  Another one ran into him, soon enough a collision happened.  “W-Wait hold up, let me just.”  He hops over with his long legs.  He leans against a wall to stay out of their way and watches the fuzzy things work.  Pidge took out some green weapon and gestures Lance to move out of her way, he nods and got out of her way.  She shot it at the drawer and used one of the fuzzy things to retrieve wood from it.  Then she closed it and handed the wood to her brother.  He tugs on one of the red “tokens” and it rang like a bell.

The two were so in sync with one another it was incredible.  Lance sat down on the step he was leaning against and curled up.  Watching the fuzzy things work, one came out and it became too much for the poor creature.  He collapsed with the rock on top of him, the other fuzzies ignored him.  Lance felt sorry for the poor creature so he picks the rock up, it was a lot heavier than he thought.  The fuzzy thing was alive but dizzy.  It ran back inside.  Lance looked at the rock.

“Wait, what am I supposed to do with this thing?”  He asks, he looks at the other creatures.  They all walked towards the fire.  “Do I leave it here?”

“Finish what you started.”  Pidge growls.  Lance looks at her, then with sudden determination he nods.  Slowly walking towards the fire, the fuzzy things making a path for him.  He saw the door to the flame opening and closing, he waited for the right time.  He threw it in and ran back and leaned against the wall.

The fuzzy things stare at him.  Then one drops the coal on itself, then another one did.  Soon enough they crowded around Lance’s feet.  Both siblings noticed them and got upset.  Pidge smacks her hand against the table.

“Hey you worthless runts!  You wanna turn back into dirt!”  She snaps.  Matt looks at Lance.

“You, you can’t take someone else's job!”  Matt sounded just as upset.  “They don’t do their job they turn back into dirt or whatever they originally were.”  Matt points out the door.  “Find work somewhere else!”

The fuzzy things started to riot, they crawled on Lance and refused to let him leave, the siblings were annoyed.

“Get back to work!”  Pidge snaps.  A smaller door to the boiler room opens, a man appears with a woman behind him.

“Chow time.”  He calls, the woman holding a basket she follows behind.  “Are you guys fighting again?”  He teases.  Matt and Pidge grumble as the man hands them their bowls.  “And where’s your bowls… from yesterday?”  He asks.  Matt hands him two bowls.  “I keep telling you to leave them out ya know.”

“Meal time, take a break!”  Pidge calls.  The fuzzy things run up happily, leaving Lance ankle deep in coal.  The woman walks over and feeds them, her white hair laying flat against her back.  She was wearing a pink tasuki, the man was wearing the same one as Akira.

She threw down little sprinkles at the fuzzy things.  They danced around with them happily.  She looks up and panics when she saw Lance.  Lance tensed at her.

“A human!”  She points at him.  The man walks up and gasps.  “You’re in trouble, you’re the one everyone is looking for!”

“Allura calm down.”  The man said.

“That right there is our cousin.”  Pidge said.

“Cousin?”  Both of them respond.

“He’s looking for work, wants to work here.”  Pidge said as she stuffs her face.  “But Matt and I got all the help we need.  Could you take him to see Haggar?”  Pidge smiles at him.  “He’s a tough one, I think he can handle it here.”

“No way, I’m not risking my life.”  Allura said as she threw sprinkles.  Pidge held up something.

“Would you for a roasted newt?”  She asks slyly.  Allura pouts at the offer, that got the man to laugh at her.  Matt looks at Lance.

“If you want a job you’ll have to talk to Haggar, she’s the head honcho here.”  He said sweetly.  Allura swipes the newt from Pidge.

“Alright.”  She snaps.  “Come on “Little Boy”, follow me.”  Allura dumps the rest of the sprinkles and walks off.  “You get back before you get in trouble Shiro.”

“Yes ma’am.”  He smiles at Lance.  “Good luck.”  Lance quickly follows Allura.

“Come on ya dope.”  She insults.  Lance nods, he took off his shoes and follows the beautiful woman out.  “Leave your shoes and socks.”

“Ah r-right!”  Lance left them, the fuzzy things surround his shoes.  He follows the woman out into the bathhouse.

“Thank those two, they’re really sticking their necks out for you.”  Allura snaps.  Lance turns quickly, hitting his head on the wood above him, he bows.

“Thank you Mr. Boiler man and his sister.”  They both give him a thumbs up.

“Good luck.”  Matt says.

“Don’t die.”  Pidge said.  With that Lance left and followed Allura.

“Haggar lives on the top floor so that’s where we’re headed.”  She said, Lance looks around at the place with curiosity.  “Get over here.”  He saw Allura in a lift.  He runs up and leans against the wall watching it fly by.  “Wanna lose your nose?”  She asks.  That got Lance to back off.

They shot by all the different spirits and workers.  Lance was surprised to see so many strange things at once.  They snuck onto another elevator and went up.

“We’re almost there, stay close.”

“Okay.”  Lance nods.  The elevator stops and a giant radish stares at them, Lance was terrified, Allura puts on a fake smile.

“Radish spirit!”  She says.  It groans and points up.  “Sorry sir this elevator doesn’t go any higher, you’ll have to take another one.”  She walks out with Lance pressed against her back, the radish follows them.  Below them every spirit was relaxing and bathing.  Others were eating and enjoying themselves.

“He’s following us.”  Lance said.

“Ignore him.”  Allura said.  They waited for the elevator together.  It opens and spirits walk out.  Allura steps in front of Lance to protect him.  A frog thing walks out.

“Right this way everyone, right this-”  He sniffs the air.  “Allura?”

“What?”  She sounded annoyed, she quickly pushed Lance in the elevator with the radish spirit and stares the man down.

“You smell just like a human!”

“Oh really.”

“You’re hiding something Allura, come on spill it.”

“Is this what you smell?”  She pulls out the newt and smiles.  The man drools.

“Roasted… NEWT!”  He tries swiping it from her, she held it up.

“Nah ah, I’m saving every last bite of this myself!”  The man began to beg for just a bit of the newt.  Allura looks at the elevator.  “If you wanna go up pull the lever on your right.”  She calls.  Lance squirms out of the radish spirit and pulls on the lever.  As soon as they were gone Allura ate the whole newt.

Lance stood there awkwardly next to the giant radish spirit.  They stopped on a random floor.  Wrong one, the radish spirit pulls the lever to another floor.  They stood there awkwardly again.  They stopped on the top floor, the radish let Lance off and goes back in the elevator.

Lance saw two doors and didn’t know which one to go in, but he had to find Haggar and get a job so he could save his parents.  He went up to one and pulls on the handles, then the ornament on the door spoke.

“Aren’t you going to knock?”  Lance jumps back, the ornament growls.  “You’re the most pathetic boy I’ve ever seen!”  Lance saw the door open, to reveal another set of doors, and another, and another, and another.  It was like a hallway of doors.

“Well come in.”  An old voice called.  Lance tensed up.  “I said… come in!”  Lance felt himself being tugged by something, he was forced through the doors down a corner and faceplants into the witches room.

Lance got up on his knees and looks around, three heads bounce towards him.  He panics.

“Quiet down, you’re making a racket.”  She said.  The witch Haggar, she was wearing a purple dress and her hair was up in a bun.  She had the same skin tone as Lance, maybe a little lighter and her hair was white.  She looked a little old but not ancient.

She ignored Lance and kept working.

“Um… excuse me, I’d like a job please.”  Lance requests.  She looks up at Lance and zips his mouth shut.  He panics and tries to open his mouth, but she magically zipped it.  She snickers.

“I don’t want to hear such a silly request.”  She went back to her work.  “You’re just a stinky, worthless weakling.”  She said.  “Certainly no place for humans.”  She said as she closed her chest full of gold, she looks back at Lance.  “This is a bathhouse, a place for the spirits to replenish themselves.”  She said as she puts a cigarette in her mouth.

“You humans ruin everything, like your parents who gobbled up all the food for the spirits like pigs.”  She said as she lit a fire with her finger.  “They got what they deserved and you should be punished too.”  Haggar lit her cigarette and smiles as she inhales.  “You could be a piglet, or perhaps a lump of coal.”

Lance stood his ground, glaring at the witch.  She cackles through the smoke, surprised she didn’t choke on it seeing as it was clouding her.

“I’m surprised you even got this far, though I’m sure you didn’t do it alone.”  She lifts one slender finger up.  “Let’s see who helped you, shall we?  We should thank them.”  She unzips his mouth.  He moves it a bit and began to shout.

“Please give me a job?!”

“Don’t start with that again!”  Haggar snaps.

“Please I just wanna work!”  Lance begs.

“DON’T SAY THAT!”  She yells, everything blowing around her.  She jumps up and flew right into Lance’s face.  “Why should I give you a job?!”  She snaps.  “Anyone can see you’re a lazy, spoiled, crybaby and you have no manners!”  She jabs a finger in Lance’s stomach with every insult.  “This is a high class joint I’m running here and I don’t need you.  I’ve got all the lazy bums I need so get out.”  She hissed.

Lance stood there frozen in fear.  Haggar could sense it and wraps her hand around his throat and whispers.

“Or I could give you the worst job and make you work till your very last breath.”  She hisses, Lance felt his body turn cold.  Then the room began to shake.  Crying filled the room.  A large foot broke the door down, and everything shook.  The heads went to Lance for protection.

“Oh dear!”  Haggar shouts.  “You woke up the baby!”  She runs up to the curtain and cooes at the child.  “Why are you still here, leave!  She snaps at Lance, he shook his head.

“I won’t leave till you give me a job!”

“Quiet down!  You’re scaring the baby!”  A foot came and kicked Haggar in the face.  “It’s okay Sweetie, calm down.”  More broken wood flew through.  “There ya go.”

“I WANT A JOB!”

“Alright alright, just be quiet!”  Haggar growls.  She runs in to comfort her child.  Lance stood there awkwardly with the heads.  A pen and paper fly over to him, the heads bounce around him excitedly.  He looks at it, Haggar walks back in with a tired voice.

“That’s your contract.”  She said as she cleaned herself and her office up.  “Sign your name away and I’ll put you to work.”  She fixed everything.  “I hear one little complaint and you’ll join your parents without one thought.”

“So do I sign right here?”  Lance asks.

“Sign it!”  Haggar snaps.  “You want the job or not?”  Lance looks around for a table, he resorts to the floor.  “I can’t believe I took that oath long ago.  Give anyone a job if they ask.  I’ve got to stop being so nice all the time.”  She took the contract from Lance with her magic.  “You done?”  It flew away from him.

She looks at it and reads it.

“So your name is Lance.”

“Yes ma’am.”  Lance nods.  Haggar smiles.

“What a beautiful name.”  She took his name from the paper and puts it in her hand.  “And it belongs to me now.”  She looks at Lance with a wicked smile.  “From now on your name is Isamu.  You got that?  Answer me Isamu!”  Her sudden voice change made him jump.

“Yes ma’am!”  He nods.

“You called for me.”  He looks over and saw Akira standing there.  Haggar spoke up.

“This boy got a job, set him up.”

“Right away.”  Akira nods.  “What’s your name?”  He asks.

“It’s Lan- oh.”  He stops himself.  “It’s Isamu.”

“Alright Isamu, follow me.”


	2. The Monster No Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't edit this in forever. Enjoy the chapter.

Akira lead Isamu to another lift, it was painfully quiet between the two.  Isamu decided to break it by talking.

“Akira-”

“Don’t talk to me.”  He said in a cold tone.  “And address me as Master Akira, understand?”  Isamu felt a pain in his heart, this wasn’t the same Akira he got to know.  Though it was a short time so maybe this Akira is the real one.  Isamu didn’t know anymore.  He just let it fall quiet again.

* * *

“I don’t care what Haggar says, we’re not taking in a human.”  A random frog man says, Akira glares at them.  Isamu felt very uncomfortable with everyone staring but he couldn’t hide in Akira so he just stood there awkwardly.

“He’s already under contract.”  Akira says.  Isamu tried to smile and bow.

“I promise to work very hard.”  He says in a sweet voice.  Everyone else around him covered their noses and glared at him.

“Well he isn’t coming in our department.”  One lady says.

“He’ll stink up the whole place.”  Another one said.  Isamu just stood there with a rather pissed off face, he thought he smelled fine.

“Give him three days with eating our food and his smell will go away.”  Akira snaps.  “And if he doesn’t work hard, roast him.  Boil him, do whatever you want.”  He says, everyone gives Isamu an amused look.  Like they were very excited to kill him off and eat him.

“Now all of you get back to work.”  He snaps.  “Also where is Shiro!”

“What?”  Shiro was leaning against the door looking rather displeased with Akira.  “Don’t dump him on me!”

“You said you wanted an assistant.”  Akira said in a matter of fact voice.  The frogs laugh.

“That’s perfect, give him to Shiro.”  They tease, Shiro mumbles ‘Oh great’ while they laughed.

“Isamu.”  Akira snaps which makes him jump.  “Get going.”

“Right!”  He runs over to Shiro.

“Why you gotta pick on me?”  Shiro asks.  “You owe me one Akira, ya hear me?”  He said with a tired voice.

“Have a nice day~”  The frog men kept teasing.  Shiro huffs and got moving, he pokes his head back when Isamu wasn’t moving.  “Come on.”

Isamu bows and follows Shiro out.  They kept walking for a bit, Isamu keeping quiet so he didn’t make anyone else mad.  Finally Shiro stops out of nowhere and looks at Isamu with a bright smile.

“I can’t believe you pulled that off!”  He said, Isamu stops and stares at him.  “Allura kept saying you were a dope, you actually had both of us worried!”  He kept smiling at Isamu.  “Now keep on your toes and if you ever need anything ask me.  Kay?”  He said with a nod.  Isamu looks down.

“O-Okay.”  He said in a tired voice.  Shiro gave Isamu a concerned look.

“Hm?  What’s wrong?”

“I… I just don’t feel so good.”  He said quietly.  Shiro sighs and leads Isamu to a random room with two other people napping.  One of them was Allura.

“So this is our room.”  He said as he opened some cupboards to pull out clothes.  “Now trust me, some food and some sleep and you’ll be fine.”  He said, then Shiro got annoyed.  “Are you kidding, where’s the ones for men?  I guess you’ll wear a womens uniform.  You don’t mind pink right?”  Shiro was already pulling stuff out so Isamu didn’t have a say.

“Here’s you apron, you’ll have to wash that yourself.  Your pants.”  He kept looking through the clothes.  “You’re so thin and tiny.”  He pulls a shirt out.  “Too big.”  He kept digging through, Isamu had to ask something.

“Um you know Akira.”

“Yeah, what about him?”  Shiro asked without looking at him.

“There aren’t two of them are there?”

“Two Akira’s?”  He asks.  “I can barely stand one.”  Shiro pulls another shirt out and stares at it.  “Too big.  He’s Haggar’s henchman, don’t trust anything he says.”  He went back to looking.  Isamu looks down sadly, holding some of the uniform close.  Shiro kept mumbling to himself.

“Let’s see…”  Isamu went down and curled up again.  “Here we go!  Ah- what’s wrong?”  Shiro got on his level and rubs his back.  “You okay?”  That woke Allura up.

“Shiro quiet down.  What’s with all the noise?”

“It’s the new guy, he’s not feeling too well.”  He said, Allura looks at him with sympathy.  She got up and comforts him as well.

* * *

Akira walks up to Haggar’s quarters to see her off, he got up there and stood next to the three heads she randomly has.  She was already wearing her cape, she smiles as she wraps herself up tight.  She walks out like a bat, Akira and the three heads bow to her as she leaves.  Her cape grew wings, she flew away with her creepy bird.  As soon as she was gone the three heads bounce away, Akira walks over and turns off the light.

Day time hit and everything went closed, the lights on all the shops and restaurants faded.

* * *

Isamu was between Shiro and Allura, he was trying so hard to sleep but with it being daytime it was kind of hard.  Allura had an arm around him to keep him comfortable, he appreciated it and loved being close to others but he barely knows her or Shiro and they’re cuddling him like he was their kid.

He whimpers in his blankets, trying so hard not to wake anyone else up. He heard the doors slide open.  Quietly the person enters, walking over all the sleeping bodies with ease.  Isamu feared for whoever it was and pretends to sleep, a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder.

“Meet me at the bridge, I’ll take you to your parents.”  The voice said and walked off.  As soon as the door shut Isamu got up and looked around.  It sounded like Akira was in there.  Isamu pulls out his pink tasuki shirt and walked out to meet up with him.

He walks out of the house, which was very bright and peaceful during the day.  He walks into the boiler room where Matt and Pidge were conked out.  They didn’t really move from their spots.  Isamu looks at the ground.

“Well I guess someone stole my shoes.”  He said, then glowing came from the little fuzzy things hiding holes.  They came out with his shoes and gave them to him.  “O-Oh, thanks.”  He takes the socks out and slips his shoes on, he runs to the door.  He heard the fuzzy things cheering him on, he smiles at them and waves.

Isamu walks up the stairs with way more confidence than last night, stopping to see what looked like a home in the distance, wondering if that was even there before.  He continues to walk up to the bridge.

He looked around, what was standing at the bridge was that same spirit from last night.  Black with a mask, staring right at him.  Isamu took a deep breath and walks by it, it watched him go by.  He looks back at the bridge, it was gone.  That’s not terrifying at all…

Isamu’s eyes went wide, where did the black spirit go?  He heard something walk up behind him, he jumps and quickly turns around.  Akira was there, a calm smile on his face.

“Follow me.”  He said as he walked off.  Isamu right behind him.  They weave through tall bushes full of flowers, Isamu thought the flowers around him and Akira made a beautiful sight.  “We don’t have much time, if you’re found here you’ll be turned into a pig yourself.”  Akira seems to have a habit of ruining the mood.

They walk down a hill together to the houses Isamu saw earlier, they were stables for farm animals.

“You must never come here without me, understand?”

“I understand.”  They finally got down to the stable full of pigs.  They walked up to one with two of them together sleeping.  Isamu looks at Akira, he nods.  That was all he needed, he runs up to the gate and tries to talk to them.

“Mom, Dad it’s me Isamu!  Wake up!”  They were still asleep.  “Hey!”  One of their ears flicked.  Isamu looked defeated, Akira walks up to him.  “What’s wrong with them, are they sick?”

“No, they ate too much.  They’re sleeping it off.”  He said.  “They don’t even remember being human.  It’s all up to you to remember which ones they are.”  Akira said in a way too calm of voice.  Isamu tears up, anger, sadness, and pressure.  It all fell on him, he broke.

“DON’T WORRY I PROMISE I’LL GET YOU OUT OF HERE!  NOW DON’T GET ANY FATTER OR ELSE THEY’LL EAT YOU!”  He ran out of the stable in tears and hid by a flower hedge.  Akira stares at him as he hid, he pulls something out of his sleeves and hands them to Isamu.

“Here.”  He said.  “It’s your clothes, hide them.”  Isamu took them from Akira and held them close.  It was just his clothes but somehow he missed them.

“I thought they were thrown away.”  He admits, Akira smiles at him.

“You’ll need them to get home.”  He sat next to Isamu, pulling a box out of his tasuki and watched Isamu with a kind smile.  Isamu pulls something out of his pants pocket.

“My goodbye card is still here, wow.”  Isamu reads it.  “L-Lan-ce.  Lance…”  He was confused by the name.  Then his eyes went wide.  “Wait Lance…”  He looks at Akira.  “That’s my name isn’t it?”

Akira nods to him.

“That’s how Haggar controls you, by stealing your name.”  He said.  “So keep that card hidden, keep it safe.  And while you’re here you will be called Isamu.”  He reminds Isamu.

“I can’t believe I forgot my own name!  She… she almost took it from me…”  Akira nods.

“If you forget your name you’ll never be able to get out of here.”  He looks away.  “I’ve tried everything and I can’t for the life of me remember mine.”  He said.  Isamu cocks his head to the side.

“You can’t remember your name?”  He asks, Akira looks back at him.  He had a kind and bright smile on his face.

“No, but… I remember yours.”  He unwraps the box he had and revealed three rice balls.  He hands one to Isamu.  “Here, eat this.  You must be hungry.”  He said sweetly.

Isamu looks down, he wasn’t feeling up to it.

“No.”  Though Isamu said no Akira wasn’t taking it.

“I put a spell on it, it’ll give you back your strength.”  He puts it closer to Isamu’s face.  “Eat it.”  He hesitates but he takes it from Akira and took a small bite.  He must’ve been hungrier than he thought cause he started stuffing his face.  He didn’t notice tears pooling from his eyes.  He finished the rice ball off and then began to cry.

He didn’t think he had anymore tears left in his body, but this proved him wrong.  He was so upset, frustrated, scared, and he didn’t know what to do.  Akira held him close trying to comfort him.

“Shh.  Isamu it’ll be okay.”  He said in a quiet voice, he held up the other two rice balls.  “Here, eat some more.”  Isamu opens his eyes and took the other two.  He ate them but that didn’t stop his crying.  After he finished up the food and tears they walked back to the bridge.

“I’ve gotta go now, but I’ll be back to help you soon.”  Akira said as he opens the gate for Isamu.  “Just stay out of trouble.”  Isamu looks back and nods.

“Thank you Akira, you’re a good friend.”  They seperate, Isamu runs across the bridge.  Akira waits till Isamu gets across.  As soon as he was across he turns around and sees something in the sky, it made him gasp.  It was a white streak in the sky, a dragon.  Isamu couldn’t stop staring.

“Akira…”  He says.  “He’s… a dragon?”  Isamu watched as Akira fades away in the sky.  As soon as he was gone he ran inside hoping no one will see him.

However the Black spirit follows Isamu without him knowing.

* * *

Pidge and Matt were still asleep on the table.  Pidge sleepily reached around to find the water she has.  She grabs the kettle and takes a drink, she stops and notices Isamu curled up on the floor holding his clothes close.  The fuzzy things surrounded his shoes asleep, others looked at Pidge.  One looks over and crawls over the shoes and stares at her sweetly.

Pidge just stares at him, she uses her kazar to shoot at a blanket and covered Isamu the best she could.

* * *

Night rolls in and it began to rain, Haggar flies back in.  The rain didn’t stop anything, the lanterns were lit and everyone started getting ready for work.

Isamu was helping everyone put the beds away.  Shiro looks back at him.

“Where were you Isamu?  I was really worried about you.”  He said as he took another bed from him.

“I’m sorry.”  He said.  Allura looks over at him while she brushed her hair.

“You better be more than sorry.”  She pokes him.  He smiles continues to help.  As they got done they walked up with the rest of the workers.

Isamu saw Shiro turn his nametag around.  Isamu found his and turned it, then got pushed by other women telling him to move it.

He worked with some of the women in cleaning the floors and tried keeping up.  The women were faster and could hold their ground better.  He was having a hard time keeping up, with them.  He fell on his stomach and groans, this was stupid.  However that didn’t stop him, he was determined to do a good job.

As he wrung out the rag he was using Shiro had to comment.

“Jeez Isamu, haven’t you ever worked a day in your life?”  He teases.  Isamu pouts and continues to wring out the rag.  A man walks over with a check board in hand and looks at them.

“Alright… Shiro and Isamu, you two get the big tub.”  Shiro looked upset as he said that.

“What?”  He asks.  “No way, that’s frog work!”

“Orders from the top so quit your complaining!”  The man snaps and left them at that.  While Shiro stood there cursing every spirit in the house Isamu walks outside to dump the water bucket out.

As he clears the bucket out he sees the Black spirit staring at him.  Isamu looks around then back at the spirit.

“Um… hello.”  He starts.  “A-Aren’t you getting wet out there?”  He asks.  The spirit says nothing, it continued to stare at Isamu.  It was awkward to say the least.  Shiro shouts.

“Isamu, hurry up!”

“Coming!”  He shouts back, then looks at the spirit with a smile.  “I’ll leave the door open for you.”  He picks the bucket up and runs to Shiro.  The spirit smiles and slowly enters the building, disappearing as soon as it came in.

* * *

Shiro and Isamu walk to the big tub with brushes in hand.  All the other workers peek out and tease him.

“Heard you got the big tub Shiro~”  One woman teases.

“Leave me alone.”  Shiro sighs.  They got to the tub, it was covered in grass, moss, something living was growing out of it and it looked nasty, Shiro groans.  “Jerks, this thing hasn’t been cleaned in months.”

The frogmen snicker behind them, Shiro glares at them causing the two to hide again.  Shiro may be kind but he is scary.  He walks in while Isamu got down carrying a bucket of cleaning products.  He slipped on the plant life and landed with a thud, dropping the bucket as well.  The frogmen laugh at him, he pouts and got up.

Shiro began to sweep up the grass and put them in a pile, Isamu carrying piles of it and running back and forth.  The plant life was gone and the two got to scrubbing the dirt off the sides of the tub.

“We… only use this tub… for our really… filthy guests.”  Shiro said through hard scrubbing.  “This sludge is so caked on… it’ll take forever to get off.”  A man walks in and calls to them.

“Shiro, Isamu.  Hurry up, you’ve got guests!”  He calls.  Shiro grew upset.

“Give us a minute!”  He threw his sponge down.  “This is clearly harassment!”  He walks to Isamu.  “That’s it, we’re soaking it off.  Go get a herbal token from the foramen.”

“What?”  Isamu asks as Shiro picks him up and helps him out of the tub.  Isamu gracefully fell out by flipping on his back and then landing on the floor face first.  Shiro pokes his head out and stares at him.

“Herbal soak token.”

“Fine.”  Isamu grumbles and held his head in pain.  He runs back to Shiro.  “Hey Shiro,what’s a foramen?”

Up above Haggar was examining her gems, she felt something coming.  She looks over her shoulder and looks out the window.  Opening up to get a closer look.

“Somethings coming, but what?”  She asks, looking out in the dark with a disgusted look.  “What low life is walking around in the rain?”

Outside all the lights were turning off, spirits were hiding themselves in the shops.  Something was walking up to the bathhouse.

* * *

“I can’t waste a token to you.”  The foramen says to Isamu, he just stood there staring at him.  The foramen gives tokens to other employees.  “Here you go.”  And another.  “Good morning, have a nice bath.”  He looks back at Isamu.  “What are you still doing here?  Scrub it yourself!”

“I told you I’m not giving you a token!  Good morning.”  He smiles at a customer.  “I said scrub it yourself!”  Isamu looks at him, lowering his head slightly, he was holding his hands together trying to stay calm.

“But I was told- look it has to have an herbal soak.”  He said.

“Too bad, ah here you go!”  The foramen ignored Isamu again and helped other customers.  The Black spirit shows up next to the foramen, Isamu notices him.  The spirit looks at the bath tokens then back at Isamu.  He nods slightly, the foramen notices Isamu nodding and looks next to him.  The spirit was gone, he wasn’t distracted for long since the phone started ringing.

“Hello?  Foramen speaking~”  He said in a pleasant voice.  A bath token floats in his face, the foramen sees it and freaks out, he has no idea how it was doing that.  It went to Isamu, he smiles and bows.

“Thank you very much!”  He ran off before the foramen told him to give it back.

“Hey!  Get back here!”  He shouts at Isamu.

“What is going on?”  Haggar snaps over the phone.

“N-Nothing!  Everything is fine.”

“I feel like we have an intruder.”  She says over her skull phone, cause a skull phone is common.

“Is it a human?”  The foramen asks.

“I’m not sure.  Figure it out and report to me.”

* * *

“Wow Isamu, you got a really good one.”  He pulls on a purple ribbon.  “We just clip this on and give it a tug.”  He tugs on it and it goes up.  “It goes straight to Matt and he gives us our water.”  He said.

A wooden plank opens up and stops with a rope hanging off of it.  Shiro runs up and holds the rope.

“You pull on this to start the water, give it a try.”  He said.  Isamu walks up and pulls down on it, he slipped and landed on his back, however he was holding on to the rope so he didn’t land on the floor.  Shiro just stared at him.  The water flows into the tub.

“You’re such a clutz.”  Shiro said.  Isamu got up and stares at the water flowing into the tub.

“What’s in the water?”

“I dunno… dried salts?  It’s suppose to be good for you.”  Shiro said, he gives Isamu a playful smirk.  “And with water this murky you won’t see the sludge.”  He got down off the tub.  “Yank on the rope when the tub is full, it’ll stop.”  He kept walking then looked at Isamu.  “Uh… you can let go of the rope.  I’m gonna go get us some breakfast.”

“Okay!”  Isamu looks at the rope, he slowly lets it go.  He smiles and watches the tub fill up.  Isamu turns around then froze when he saw the Black spirit again.  He was so startled that he fell off the bed, he held his head and groans.  That hurt.

“Um… sir the bath’s not ready.”  Isamu said, the spirit hands him more bath tokens.  He smiles and kept gesturing to take the tokens.  “There’s so many.”  He said.  “Are they all for me?”  He asks the spirit.

He nods and kept gesturing Isamu to take it, hoping he’ll take his offer.

“Thanks but… I don’t need anymore.”  Isamu said.  The spirit was persistent.  “No!  I only needed one.”  Isamu said in a more commanding tone, the spirit grew upset.  He disappeared, the tokens didn’t go with him.  They scattered all over the floor, Isamu panics as the tokens fell.  He was so distracted by the spirit that he didn’t notice that tub was full.  He noticed as the water pooled around his feet.  He screams.

* * *

Haggar runs down to the front and sees her employees were crowding the entrance.

“A stink spirit.”  She says.  A worker nods.

“And an extra smelly one at that.”  A few more workers run in.

“He’s heading straight for the bridge!”  At the bridge the workers were trying to tell him to leave.  Even the little frog was yelling at him saying they weren’t open.  However the stench was too strong and he fainted.  Nothing was stopping the stink spirit from getting in.  Haggar gave a questioning brow.

“There’s something fishy here.  That doesn’t seem like a stink spirit.”  She looks over at her employee.  “However we have no choice.  Go greet him.  Just give him a bath and get him out of here.”

In the bath area everyone was evacuating.  They were getting their customers out, trying to get them in their rooms, the employees were running out as fast as they could, except for Isamu.  He was still waiting for Shiro.

“Isamu!”  A man calls for him, he pokes his head out from is stall and looks at the man.  “Haggar wants to see you.”

“Yes sir.”  He nods and goes to Haggar who was at the entrance.  Haggar waves her cane in Isamu’s face and gave him a cold look.

“Now Isamu don’t mess this up!”  She says.  “Take this guest to the big bath and take care of him.”

“But I-”

“No buts!”  Haggar snaps.  “No buts or I’ll turn you into coal.  You understand me?”  She hisses, the man next to her points.

“He’s here!”  They all back away, Isamu looks over with curiosity.  They saw some frogmen run in covering their noses.  Before the spirit entered the stench came in, greeting the two first.  Haggar and Isamu tense up at the awful smell, Isamu covered his nose on instinct.

“Hands down, you’ll insult our guest.”  She said in a strained voice.  The stink spirit comes in in all his stinky glory.  Haggar tried speaking but she was having a hard time due to the horrid stench.

“Ek ek ek- welcome valued customer.”  She said, her voice now even more strained.  Isamu bows.  “Welcome to our baths~”  The two gave a wide eyed, fake smile.  The stink spirit reaches his hand out, Haggar and Isamu’s eyes bug out even more, they were dying.

“Oh look, it’s money.”  Haggar said.  “Go on Isamu, take the nice mans money.”

“Yes ma’am.”  Isamu held his hands out, the money, as well as sludge, pooled into his hands.  His whole body shivered, swallowing hard he froze.  Haggar tries to snap at him.

“Go on Isamu, take him to the baths.”

“R-Right this way.”  He said, the spirit following Isamu.  As they passed, Haggar slowly fainted to the ground.  Everyone else ran away.

* * *

“Move it.”  Shiro snaps.  He saw everyone crowding around holding their breath.  He saw Allura with the same wide eyed look.  “What is going on here?”  He asks her.  She said nothing, soon enough it hit Shiro.  “Ew what the-”

He saw Isamu walking towards the bath with the stink spirit.  He ran up to them and called.

“Isamu!”  They kept walking, Shiro did not want to come closer.  He about threw up, his food didn’t last as long as he did though.  The rice died in the bowls, he groans.  “Aw our food!”

Haggar went to the top and watched the big bath where Isamu was leading the spirit.  He was crawling into the bath, Isamu picks up the bucket and stumbles back to avoid the purple sludge the spirit was creating.

The spirit dives head first into the bath, filthy water splashes everywhere.  Isamu held onto the bucket of tokens for dear life as the water hit him.  The spirit looks around, the water was filthy.  He makes a moaning noise wanting more water.  Isamu looks at him.

“Ah-just a minute sir!”  He moved through the sludge to find what Shiro used earlier.  Up above Haggar laughs.

“Heh, disgusting.”

“I don’t think it’s very funny.”  The employee says.  Haggar smirks and leans in closer.

“Let’s see what he’ll do next.”  She watched him.  He was pulling at the wood to open it up.  “Look at him, he’s trying to refill the tub.”

“Oh no, he’ll take all our good water!”  The employee panics.

Isamu slams his fist on the wood, it slams open in his face.  He walks to the opening and fumbles to get a token on, he drops the first one.  Staying calm he grabs a second one and clamps it on, sending it to Matt.

Haggar kept watching.

“Who gave him all the bath tokens?”  She asked.

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t.”  The employee said.  The water faucet drops, Lance pulls up his pant legs and treks through the sludge to get to it.  The spirit watches him.

They got up and saw the spirit, the spirit moans in his face.  Isamu about passed out due to the stinky breath.  Still he got up and grabs the rope.  He pulls but slips and fell into the bath with the spirit.

The water came rushing out, hitting the spirit.  It overflowed and pushed the sludge out, the employee freaks out.

“Oh no!  Our best water!”  Haggar says nothing, she kept watching.

Isamu was stuck head first in the spirits sludge body, he was struggling to get out.  The spirit helps him get unstuck and held him.  He carries him out and held him up to his body.  Isamu passed out due to no oxygen and exhaustion.  He opens his eyes and looks around.  He sees the spirit is holding him.

He looks at the spirit and reaches in.  Seeing what the spirit is trying to tell him.  As he reaches his fingers brush against something.  He gasps and looks at the spirit.

“Isamu!”  Shiro runs in with a brush and a cloth around his nose and mouth.  “Isamu where are you?”

“Over here!”  Isamu calls, both yelling over the rushing water.  Shiro panics and looks at him.

“Okay just stay where you are!  I’m coming to help you!”  He calls.  “I promise he won’t hurt you!”

“No I think he needs help!”  Isamu calls.  “He has something here in his side, he has a thorn in his side!”

“A thorn?!”  Shiro shouts in disbelief.  Isamu turns towards the spirit and pulls as hard as he could.

“It won’t come out!”

“What’s that?”  Haggar asks and leans closer.  “He has a torn?”  She gives it a questioning look.  “Get the staff down there.”

“What?”  The employee asks.  Haggar didn’t respond, she jumps down and floats next to Isamu and Shiro.  The staff rushes downstairs.

“Listen, that’s no stink spirit we have on our hands!”  She said.  She summons a rope and hands it to the two boys.  “Take this rope!”

“Right!”  Isamu grabs it, Shiro held it steady as Isamu ties it to the thorn or whatever was in his side.  Shiro had to help him tie it and looks at him.

“Hold on tight!”  He says.

“Got it!”  Isamu squeaks.  Haggar orders everyone to hold the rope.

“Everyone get in there and help them!”  She orders.  Isamu looks over at Haggar.

“We’ve got it on!”  He calls.  Haggar stood on a fence and pulls out two fans.

“Everyone on my command!”  She calls.  “Aaaaand HEAVE!”  She motions the fans in the direction her workers should pull, they all pull on the rope.  Some employees motion with her with fans, even the customers were supporting them with fans.  They pulled it out, Isamu was surprised.

“A bicycle?”  He asks.  Haggar smirks.

“Thought so.”  She looks at her workers.  “Keep going!  HEAVE!”  They all kept pulling, Isamu runs up and yanks on the bike.  More was coming out and Isamu saw it flood out, Haggar about fell over, Shiro abandons ship and runs from the mess.  Isamu just stares at all the junk that came out of the spirit.  Haggar peeks over the stall she fell behind and saw all the stuff on the floor.

Isamu pulls out the string from a fishing rod, it was the last piece of junk in the spirit.  The spirit sighs in relief, covering Isamu in water.

Shiro stood at the stall and braced the water.

“Isamu!  Isamu, where are you?!”  He calls.  Isamu stood there in the water, motionless.  He stares at the bath.  What looked like the face of a decaying old man came out and looks at Isamu.

“Well done…”  He husks out.  Isamu was let out of the water, he looks at what the spirit gave him.  A ball of… something.

The water fades away leaving something, something shiny.  They looked closely.  Allura looks down and gasps.

“It’s gold!”  She calls, workers surround the bath trying to get some, they about toppled Shiro over.  Haggar snaps.

“Knock it off you idiots!  Our guest is still here!”  She got next to Isamu.  “Isamu you’re in our guests way.”

“Oh, yes ma’am.”  He nods and got down.  Haggar calls to the entrance.

“Open the gates!”  They all opened and made way for the spirit.  A rush of wind comes from the bath.  He laughs and swirls around the building, he rushes out the door and into the sky.  All the spirits cheering for him, Isamu stared in disbelief.  He didn’t know that they were cheering for him.

Haggar rushes over and pulls Isamu in for a hug.

“Isamu that was wonderful!  We’ve made so much money!”  She pulls away and gave him a proud smile.  “That spirit was rich and powerful!  All of you earned from Isamu!”  She calls.  “Saki’s on the house tonight!”  Everyone cheers for Isamu, that ended when Haggar said that they had to hand over all the gold. Isamu gave a small smile, he felt proud of himself.  In the back the Black spirit stares at Isamu, then disappeared.

Everyone relaxed after that.  Allura was in the room conked out while others talked to one another.  Isamu was sitting in his tank top and pants, Shiro walks up to him.  He was shirtless since he wore the male uniform.  He hands Isamu some food.

“Snagged a dumpling for ya.”

“Thank you.”  Isamu took it and held it through the fence and looked out.  Shiro lays on his side and props himself up and sighs.

“What a day.”  He took a huge bite of dumpling.  Isamu took a small bite and looked at the sky.

“Hey Shiro, have you seen Akira?”

“Not Akira again.”  Shiro groans.  “No, rumor has it he runs around doing Haggar’s dirty work.”

“Does he really?”  Isamu asks.  Before Shiro could say anything a woman shouts at them.

“Lights out Shiro!”

“Fine.”  He groans and looks back at the sky with Isamu.  The moon light up the sky, the water looked blue and beautiful.  The train rushes by under them, Isamu watches the train go by.  It rushes in the water.

“All that water… it looks like a sea.”  He said.

“What did ya expect after all that rain?”  Shiro said.  Isamu looks back at Shiro.  He took another bite of his dumpling and closed his eyes.  “I’ve gotta get out of here.  Someday I’m gonna get on that train.”  Isamu looks back out at the water.

He looks at the ball he got from the stink spirit.  He smiles and took a bite of his dumpling.  He smells the ball, it didn’t smell bad.  With that knowledge he took a bite, bad idea!  He tensed up, he about threw up.  Shiro looks at Isamu as he clenched up.

“Hm?  What’s wrong?”  He asks.  Isamu said nothing, he stuffs his face with the dumpling.

* * *

While lights were out the frog was running around, he snuck into the bath stall with the gold.  He hoped that there was some gold left behind.  He searches through the floorboards to get some gold.

He didn’t notice the Black spirit slowly rising from the bath.  A piece of gold falls, the frog gasps and takes it.  He looks up and notices the spirit looking at him.

“Huh?  Hey you can’t be in there!  The baths closed, get out!”  He says.  The spirit held his hand out and drops a few more pieces.  The frog smiles and picks it up.  “M-More gold!  Wait, are you giving it to me?”  He asks.

The spirit made a handful and gestures him to come closer and take it.

“Y-You can make gold?”  The frog asks.  The spirit backs away, the frog’s greed pushed him to get closer and closer.  “Gimmie!”  He yells and takes the gold.  The spirit wraps its hand around the frogs neck and quickly eats him.

Another employee walks down upset that someone was making noise.

“Who’s down here?”  He snaps.  “It’s way past bedtime!”  He noticed gold falling from the sky.  He looks up and gasps.

“Hey boss, I’m hungry, STARVING!  And I want YOU to serve me.”  He says.  The employee’s eyes grew wide.

“Wait I know that voice.”  He sounded scared, however the spirit dropped more gold.  “Here I’ll pay ya up front.  Also I want a bath.”  He smiles wickedly.  “Why don’t you wake everyone up?”

* * *

Isamu gasps as he woke up.  He had a horrible dream where he couldn’t tell which pigs were his parents.  He sighs and lays back.

“Bad dream.  Hey Shiro… huh?”  Shiro was missing from his bed, he looks to his other side.  “Allura?”  She was gone too, in fact everyone was gone.  “Where is everybody?”  He got his uniform on and walks outside, it was daytime.  Isamu looks at the water down below, he smiles.

“It really does look like the sea.”  He looks over at the pens.  “Mom and Dad’s pig pens.  I sure hope they’re alright.”  He looks up, smoke coming from the chimney, Isamu panics.  “Matt lit the boiler already?  H-How long was I asleep?”  He hurries downstairs.

Everyone was running around with food and other things.  Practically rushing and serving everything they had.  Isamu walks in and watches everything, the place was busier than ever.

“Isamu!”  Shiro runs up.

“Hey Shiro.”  Shiro smiles at him.

“I was just about to wake you, look!”  He held up a gold piece.  “It’s real gold!”  He sounded excited.  “There’s a new guest here and he’s loaded!  He’s giving away gold by the handful!”

Below the Black spirit was sitting in the big tub, the best water pouring on him and eating everything that was being given.

“Just keep the food coming, I wanna eat EVERYTHING!”  He shouts as he throws gold in the air.  Everyone cheers and tries to catch some.  Back at the stairs Isamu was still talking to Shiro.

“So who’s the guest?”  Isamu asks.

“Heh, who cares.  Come on let’s go get some!”  Shiro walks down the stairs.  Isamu didn’t follow.

“You go on ahead Shiro, I’m gonna go look for Akira.”  He said.  Shiro stops.

“Not Akira again.  Come on Isamu, let’s go get some gold.”  He said happily, Allura comes from out of nowhere and grabs Shiro’s arm.

“Come on Shiro!”  He was dragged off, Isamu didn’t care for gold.  He walked back upstairs and walks outside.  He sighs and looks at the sky.

“Where is Akira…”  He says, he sounded bored.  “He better show up soon before I forget my parents.  I hope Dad hasn’t gotten too fat.”  Isamu rests his eyes.  He lets the sound of the wind and quiet waves drift him to a peaceful rest.

That was interrupted with the sound of paper and wind.  Isamu opens his eyes, in the distance a dragon was going nuts, it was white with bits of gold, almost like a flame.

“A-Akira?”  The dragon flew high then fell into the water.  “Akira!  He’s back!”  Isamu saw what was chasing him.  “Birds?”  He asks.  Akira wasn’t putting up such a good fight, Isamu leans on the balcony.

“AKIRA COME ON!  FIGHT EM!”  He shouts, Akira was still failing miserably.  “He’s hurt…”  Isamu noticed, he calls.  “AKIRA THIS WAY!”  He calls him in, Akira charges head first into the room.

The birds fly after him, Isamu tries to shut the doors but the birds landed on him.  He screams and tears them off.  Finally he was fine.  He saw what coated him.  

“I-It’s just paper…”  He said.  The paper flew off and out of the room.  He watched them leave, he tries to shut the door but it was broken or blocked with stuff.  Isamu hears a cough, he looks back at Akira.  He never saw him up close as a dragon.  He had white scales but also gold, he had fur that was the same color as his hair and even the same eye color.  He had ears and horns, and the face of a wolf.

He looked like a mix of animals.  A strange creature, but still a beautiful one.

He coughs up blood, wounds covered his body.  He hissed at the pain but still tried to get up.  Isamu hesitates but tried to get closer.  He grew worried.

“Akira, you’re bleeding.”  Isamu says.  Akira got up and hissed.  “Stay still.  Listen those paper things are gone now, you’re gonna be alright.”  He tries to calm the hissing dragon down.  Akira flies out, flinging blood everywhere.

Isamu runs out and watches.  Akira flies a bit, hits the wall, flies off of it, repeats process.

“He went into the top window…  I’ve got to get there before he dies!”  Isamu runs to aid Akira, he didn’t notice a paper thing followed him and stuck to his back.

* * *

Down below everyone was serving the rich spirit.  One man was singing a song for him as he approached.

“Welcome the rich man, he’s hard for you to miss!  His butt keeps getting bigger, but more for you to kiss!”  He sings.  “Now everybody bow down.”  He says as the spirit gets to the top.  All the women bow.

“Welcome rich man.”

“If you want to beg for tips, nows the time.”  He says, everyone held a box up.  The spirit kept walking by.

Isamu saw the crowd praising the spirit.  He couldn’t care less, he wanted to get to Akira fast.  Even for someone as thin as him he had a hard time squeezing through.  He managed and ran to the stairs, only to be stopped by a frog man.  He glares at Isamu.

“Where do you think you’re going?”  He hissed, Isamu gave the man a look.

“Upstairs!”

“No you’re not, yo-”  The frog sees Isamu’s hand, it was covered with blood.  “Gah!  Blood!”  The frog lets go, Isamu uses that to escape and find another way up.  He runs into the employee leading the rich spirit.  He got mad at Isamu.

“What are you doing?  Move it!”  He shouts.  “You’re in our guests way!”  Isamu recognizes the spirit.

“It’s you…”  He bows.  “Thank you for helping me out earlier!”  He says, the man got mad.

“Don’t talk to him like that you-”  The spirit picks the man up and throws him to the side.  Isamu panics and looks back at the spirit in fear.  He leans down and creates gold, a lot of gold.  He didn’t know what he wanted, he shook his head.

The spirit brings it closer to his face.

“I don’t want any.”  He said, the spirit was confused.  “I’m sorry but… I-I’m in a bit of a rush.”  He runs away, the spirit drops the gold.  Everyone rushes over to get it, Isamu pushes out of the crowd and in the dark hallway.  The man leading the spirit smacks everyone.

“Get back!”  He shouts and gives the spirit a smile.  “Pardon the boy sir, he’s just a human.”  He says.  The spirit looks at the man.

“Wipe that smile off yer face.”  He hisses, the man was confused.  “You’re still smiling!”  He grabs the man and a random woman and eats them both.  Everyone screams and ran away, the spirit still walking around.

* * *

Isamu walks outside and hops on the roof, he slid and about fell down.  He caught himself before he fell off the roof.  He walks over and saw a ladder leading to the roof, that you had to walk on a pipe to get to.  Isamu felt fear, then he looks at his hand.  Akira’s blood coated it, he nods and prepared himself.

He ties his uniform up and pulls his pant legs up.  Then he took a deep breath and ran on the pipe as fast as he could.  The pipe was falling off the side of the building.  Isamu panics and runs to the ladder, clinging to it like a child.  He looks down, the pipe falls down.  He ignores that and climbs to the top.

He took a break, it was a very long ladder.  The paper thing taps his head.

“What?”  He turns around.  He sees Haggar flying back, he panics.  “It’s Haggar!”  He kept climbing the ladder and hid in a window seal away from Haggar’s sight.  He tried to break in through the window.  He elbows it, that didn’t work.  He grabs the top and tries using his backside to break through.  While doing that the paper thing slid in between the crack and opened it, Isamu squeaks and fell through.

He saw he was in a giant bathroom, he got up and ran out.  Trying to find a place to hide out and get to Akira.  He ran into a plush room and saw everything.  It was full of toys and pillows, all way too big.  He was distracted but not too distracted when he heard Haggar.

“I should’ve known.  That spirit, it’s a no face.  You’re so greedy!  Look don’t let him see anyone else till I get down there... yes.  I’ll be down there right away.”  Isamu sneaks over and watches, the paper thing on his shoulder.  She hangs up and looks at the ground.  “Yuck, Akira is bleeding all over the carpet.  Get him out of here, he’ll be dead soon anyways.”  That made Isamu gasp, Akira was dying.

Haggar looks at the door, Isamu panics and runs back in and prances around.  He squirms into the cushions and hides.  Haggar bursts through the curtains and looks around.  She sees the cushion pile and pulls them off revealing a sleeping boy who was not happy to be awake.  He groans and hides, Haggar cooes.

“Aw is my baby hiding in the cushions again?”  She asks in a loving voice.  “I woke you up didn’t I?  There there let me give you a kiss.”  She kisses his cheek and puts the pillow back on his face.  “Go back to sleep.”  Haggar picks a few toys up and fixes the room a bit, she makes it go dark and leaves the room.

Isamu pokes his head out and looks around, perfect chance to escape.  He tries to get out but gets pulled back in, he squeals and sees who grabbed him.  A bigger guy looks at him, he pouts and held onto Isamu’s arm.

“Ow ow ow that hurts!”  He yells.  “Let me go, please I have to go!”

“You came in here to make me sick.”  He says, Isamu questions him.  “You’re a germ from outside, they make you sick.”  He says again.  Isamu shakes his head.

“No, I am not a germ.  I’m human, now let me go!”

“And I’m Hunk.  Listen, if you go outside you’ll get sick.”  He said.  “So stay in here and play with me.”

“No I can’t!”  Isamu says.  “And you won’t get sick.”

“Yes you will, that’s why I never left this room.”  This guy was nuts.  Isamu was getting annoyed.

“Staying in this room is what’ll make you sick!”  He gave the guy a sad look.  “Listen, someone very dear to me is hurt.  I’ve got to go to him, so please let me go.”

“If you go I’ll cry, and Mama will hear me and kill you.”  He says in a dark tone, he grips Isamu’s arm harder.  “Play with me or I’ll break your arm.”

“O-OW!”  Isamu shrieks.  “I’ll play with you later, please!”

“No I wanna play now!”  He grips harder.  Isamu clenched down, this guy had a strong grip.  He has had it with this guy.  “LOOK I’VE GOT GERMS!”  He held out his hand covered in Akira’s blood.  Hunk freaks out and threw him out of the pillows screaming.  Isamu got out and ran to Haggar’s office.

He saw the three heads staring at Akira’s bleeding body.

“AKIRA!”  He shrieks.  “GET AWAY FROM HIM!”  Isamu runs to him and went into his face.  “Akira are you okay?”  He cooes, Akira wasn’t responding.  The heads kept making the same weird noise, Isamu looks at one.  “Shut your mouth!”  He looks back at Akira.

Haggar’s bird came out and attacked Isamu, he panics and fought the bird.  The heads saw he was distracted and tried pushing Akira’s body down the hole.

“NO STOP IT!”  Isamu picks him up and held him.  “LEAVE HIM ALONE!”  The bird bites at him.  “GO AWAY!”  He saw the boy leave his room and stared him down.  He storm up to Isamu.

“I’m not afraid of germs!  If you don’t play with me I’ll start crying.”  He commands.

“Please don’t cry!  Just wait!”  Isamu begs while still holding Akira.  The heads looked at the boy worried.

“Right now or I’ll start!”  He was about to, Isamu clung to Akira in fear.

“Urg… what a spoiled brat.”  A woman sounding like Haggar says.  Isamu looks around, the paper thing on his back stood.  It flew around the boys face.  “You’re a bit of a porker aren’t you.”  It landed and hops up revealing Haggar herself.  She looks at herself and groans.

“Aw… still see through.”

“Mama?”  Hunk asks.

“You pea brain, can’t you even tell me from your own mother?”  She says.  She flicks a finger up and changes the boy into a mouse.  “There now, your body matches your brain.”  She mocks him.  “Now let’s see what else we can mess with.”

The heads and bird tried to escape this woman, she changes the bird into a tiny fly sized bird and the heads into Haggar’s child.

She laughs at her fun while Isamu gasps, he held Akira close hoping this lady won’t mess with him.  She looks at Isamu and winks, putting a finger to her mouth.

“This is our little secret, you tell anyone else and I’ll rip your mouth out.”  She says, Isamu glares at her.

“Who are you?”  He commands, she answers willingly.

“Honerva I’m Haggar’s twin sister.”  She says.  “I want to thank you for leading me to this dragon’s hideout.  Hand him over.”

“What do you want with Akira?”  Isamu asks as he held him closer.  “He’s badly hurt.”

“Too bad, he has my golden seal.  It’s powerful and magical, and I want it BACK!”  She snaps.  Isamu shook his head.

“No!  Akira wouldn’t steal, he’s a good person!”  He says.  That made Honverva laugh.

“You know why he became my sister’s apprentice?”  She asks.  “To steal her magic, and now he’s stolen mine as well.”  She looks at Akira in his pathetic state.  “He’s a greedy little thief, there’s no good in him.”  She got in Isamu’s face.

“Step aside little boy, he has my seal.  Anyone who touches it will die.”

“NO YOU CAN’T!”  Then they heard slamming.  The new Hunk was chasing Hunk and the bird, that made Honerva groan.

“What are you idiots doing?”  She asks.  “Knock it off, I don’t want my sister coming up here.”  She snaps.  Hunk climbs onto Isamu’s shoulder with the bird.

Akira wakes up with a hiss.  He flails as he saw Honerva, slamming his tail onto the paper body, she smirks.

“Ah ow, a paper cut.”  She says as she dissappears.

“A-AKIRA WE’RE FALLING!”  As Akira leans back he takes Isamu, Hunk, and the bird with him.  They all fall down the hole.  Isamu held onto Hunk and the bird as he grabs at Akira’s horns.  “AKIRA!”

Then his vision changed.  He was surrounded by water, he didn’t know what this was or where he was but it was odd.  Then he was back and Akira woke up and flew around madly, trying to get to safety.  They flew through a fan and broke it, they landed in the boiler room.  Isamu lands on Matt and Pidge, Akira knocks himself into the shelves and Hunk was being flown down by the tiny bird.

“What the?!”  Pidge and Matt freak out.  Isamu looks over at Akira and panics.

“Akira!”

“No stay back!”  Matt tries to grab Isamu but he got off quickly and runs to him.

“Akira…”  He walks up and tries to grab his face.  “What’s wrong with you?”  Akira growls at him then proceeds to faint.  “Akira!  Please don’t give up!”  Isamu cries.

“This doesn’t look good.”  Pidge and Matt got down and walk over.

“What’s wrong?!  Is he dying?!”  He asks.  Matt looks at him.

“I think he’s bleeding from the inside.”  He said, Isamu reaches in his tasuki and pulls out the gift from the spirit.

“Akira eat this, it’s a gift from the spirit.  Maybe it’ll help.”  He begs, the fuzzy things watch.  “Come on open your mouth Akira!”  He took a bite and spits it out.  “See it’s okay!  Eat it!”

“Medicine from the river spirit?”  Pidge was intrigued.  Isamu forces Akira’s mouth open.

“Open your mouth… that’s it!”  He shoves it down Akira’s throat.  “Got it!  Now swallow!”  Akira freaks out and roars at Isamu.  He didn’t let go of Akira’s head, he held onto him, trying to calm down.  “Akira calm down!”  Akira kept flailing and making a mess of the boiler room.

Akira started to heave, then he threw something up.  Matt and Pidge look down and point.

“Isamu look!”  They point, he looks over at the blob Akira hurked out.  It was Honerva’s gold seal and a slug.

“The gold seal!”  He says as the slug slinks away.  Pidge points at the slug while Matt spoke.

“Get that slug!  Get it get it!”  Isamu chased the slug.  The fuzzy things kept it out of the holes.  Isamu kept trying to step on it, he got it… and it was all over his foot.

“You killed it?”  Pidge asked.  “Dude those things are bad luck.  Come here.”  He hops over and made a heart with his hand.  “That’s it… evil BEGONE!”  Shs says.  Isamu held up the gold seal.

“Akira stole this from Haggar’s sister.”  They backed away.  Matt spoke up.

“Honerva’s magical gold seal… that’s a powerful as it gets.”  Akira changed back into his human form, face planted on the floor.  Isamu noticed and ran to him.

“Akira!  He changed back!”  He turned him around.  “Akira wake up!”  Akira makes a weak noise.  Isamu looks at the siblings.  “Help me, Honerva put a curse on him!”

“That’s powerful magic.”  Pidge says.  Isamu kept holding Akira.  The siblings gave Akira water and made him a bed.  Isamu lays him down and stares at him.

“Poor Akira… he’s had it rough ever since he got here.”  Matt said.  “He showed up out of nowhere, just like you did.”  He told Isamu.  Hunk looks at the fuzzy things that were surrounding Isamu’s foot print., he points the bird to take him there.  “He got mixed up with Haggar.  I told him to go but he said he had no home to return to.”  Hunk steps on the foot print and made a victory pose, the fuzzy things cheered for him.  “His skin turned pale and his eyes steel.  He’s never been the same again.”

“Matt do you think I could return this and apologize for Akira?”  That made both siblings turn.  “I could return the seal and apologize for him, can you tell me where Honerva lives?”  He asks.  Matt scratches his head.

“You’d go all the way to Honerva’s?  She’s one dangerous witch.”

“Please?  Akira helped me once, now I want to help him in return.”  Isamu said.  Matt sighs, Pidge got up.

“I know how you can get there.  Wait here.”  She walks off, Matt gives her a panicked look and chases after her.

“Pidge no!  That’s for you!”  Pidge ignores her brother as she searches through the drawers.  Isamu looks at the fuzzy things.

“I’m gonna need my shoes and clothes back.”  He said.  As soon as he mentioned that Shiro comes back.

“Isamu, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”  He runs in.  “Listen Haggar is furious, everyone is looking for you a- who are those guys?”  He asks.  Isamu looks at the two and smile.

“I’ve picked up a few friends.”  He said with a smile.  Shiro ignores them and spoke.

“That man with the gold turned out to be a monster called No Face and he said you let him into the bathhouse!”  Shiro says.  Isamu looks down.

“I did let him in.”

“What?!”  Shiro was shocked and angered.

“I thought he was a customer.”  He admits.

“No!  He’s a monster!  He’s already swallowed three people, one of them was Allura!”  He snaps.

“What?!”  Isamu was scared.

“Found it!”  Pidge runs up to Isamu.

“Hey we’re busy boiler girl.”  Shiro snaps at her.  She ignores him and hands him train tickets.  

“Here take these.”

“You have train tickets?!”  Shiro asks.  “How?”

“I gave them to her.”  Matt said.  “I’ve been trying to get her to leave but she doesn’t.”

“I can’t leave you.”  She looks at Isamu.  “Listen Honerva lives in a place called Swamp Bottom.  It’s the sixth stop.  You still want to go?”

“Yes.  I’ll get home by walking on the tracks.”  He said.  Shiro looks at Isamu.

“But wait, what about No Face?”  He asks.  Isamu walks to Akira.

“I’ll take care of that now.”  He got in Akira’s face.  “Akira, I’ll be back soon okay?”  He pushes Akira’s bangs back and looks at him.  Shiro looks at him.

“What’s going on?”  He asks.  Pidge smiles and looks at him.

“Something you wouldn’t recognize, it’s called love.”


	3. The Kogane River

Everyone in the bath house was running around in a panic, a few women run out of the room in fear.  One woman grabs another in fear.

“He keeps getting bigger!”

“I don’t wanna go in there!”  Another screams.  One of the women looks back in disgust.

“It’s him.”  They all look at Isamu who was walking down the halls.  All eyes were on him, some with worry, others with anger.  One of the men ran out and about hit him, he panics and backs off.

“Oh Isamu it’s you!  Thank goodness.”  He says.  “Listen, Haggar cannot hold him much longer.”  A loud crash came from the other room, the man and Isamu turn quickly in the direction of said crash.  Haggar’s voice could be heard through the rumbling.

“Calm down, I’m sure they’ll find Isamu soon enough.”  Another crash.

“Where’s Isamu?!  I want Isamu!”  Isamu and the man just stand there, he doesn’t want to go in.  The man pushes him at the door.

“This way, hurry!”  They walk towards the door, the man whispers.  “Madam, Isamu is here.”  As soon as he mutters that the door opens and a very annoyed Haggar reveals herself.

“About time!”  She turns around at No Face.  “Isamu is here, he’ll be with you in a minute.”  She shuts the door and looks back at him with an angered look.  “He’s been destroying everything and it’s costing us a fortune!  You suck up to him and get every last bit of gold or I will-”  The bird on his shoulder held up Hunk who was still a mouse.  She just stares at them.

“Chu?”  Hunk squeaks.

“What is that filthy mouse doing here?”  She asks, Hunk gave her a sad look.  Isamu looks at them in surprise.

“Huh?”  He looks back at her.  “He is- he doesn’t look familiar to you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”  She pushes Isamu in the room with No Face.  “Get in there.”  Isamu stumbles in and fell on his knees.  He looks at No Face in fear.  Haggar shuts the door behind him and listens in, the man looks at her.

“Will Isamu be alright in there by himself?”

“You wanna take his place?”  Haggar asks coldly.  He swallows, that was a clear no.

Isamu was staring at No Face, he has grown massive in size.  Completely surrounded by broken plates, bowls, and food.  Isamu was terrified by his appearance.  No Face has a mouth under the mask, you’d think his mouth would be near his mask like face but nope.  Also he’s sitting like a frog.

Isamu sat completely still as No Face approached him, he kept a brave face.  No Face held up some food.

“Try some it’s delicious.”  He said in a low voice, he puts it down when he saw that didn’t work on Isamu.  “Want some gold?!  I’m not giving it to anyone else.”  That didn’t work either, Isamu kept glaring at No Face.  “What is it you want Isamu?”  He asks as he got closer.  “I can get you whatever you want, just name it.”

“I would like to leave.”  Isamu said.  “I have somewhere I need to be.”  No Face backs away, he was angered by Isamu’s request.  “You have to leave here too, Haggar doesn’t want you in the bath house any longer.”  He said, No Face growls.

“Don’t you have a home?”  Isamu asks.  “Anyone to go back too?”  No Face’s mask goes in his black body slowly.

“No….no…. I’m lonely.  I’m so lonely…”  He cries, but he got closer.  Isamu quickly got up and presses himself against the door.  Hunk and the bird go to his other shoulder to avoid No Face.

“W-What do you want?”  He asks, No Face’s mask reappears.

“Isamu… Isamu… I want Isamu.”  He got closer.  Isamu felt uncomfortable with him.  No Face held up gold.  “Take the gold, take it!”

“What do you want from me?”  He asks.  “Are you gonna eat me?”  As Isamu asks No Face wraps his hands around Isamu’s face.  Hunk bit him, No Face made a grunt and drops the gold he tried giving Isamu. He takes Hunk closer to his face, Hunk refused to let go.  He tries to hit him, the bird takes Hunk back to Isamu’s shoulder.  Isamu had a plan ready.

“If you wanna eat me eat this first.”  He held up the last half of the ball, he remembers what happened to Akira so he hoped it worked on No Face.  “I was gonna give it to my parents but I think you should have it.”  He threw it in No Face’s mouth quickly.  He made a gagging noise, whatever that ball was it was nasty.

He turns away from Isamu and threw up.  Isamu gasps at how disgusting it was.  No Face turns back to him with black goo pouring out of his mouth.

“Isamu…. Isamu what did you do to me?”  He asks.  Isamu runs out of the room.  No Face broke the doors down and chased after him.  Isamu has never ran so fast in his life, but hell his long legs certainly help in this case.

He ran past Haggar, she lets him pass and started using her magic to create a fireball.

“I’ve let you stay long enough!  It’s time I ended this!”  She threw the fireball at him, he vomits again.  Haggar’s eyes grew wide moments before she was hit.  He crawls over her and hits the fence.

“Hey No Face!”  He sees Isamu waving him down.  He crawls towards him.  Isamu rushes away.  “Legs don’t fail me now!”  He squeaks as he ran down the stairs.  He kept running down the flights of stairs as No Face chased him.  Melting off as he ran.  All the other employees ran away from the two.

Isamu makes a sharp turn, No Face hits the wall and threw up Allura and some random employee.  He breathes heavily.

“I’ll… get you for this Isamu.”  He kept running after him.  Allura looks at her co-worker with a rather tired expression.

“Well I’ve been traumatized.”  She lays flat on her back, the other worker watches No Face leave.  No Face chased Isamu down the kitchen and down the halls.  No Face kept shrinking.

* * *

Shiro was waiting outside on a little boat.  He saw Isamu running 

“Isamu!  This way!”  Isamu hops down and into the boat, No Face saw him flea on the boat.  He saw him just sitting there watching.

“Hey over here!”  Isamu shouts as he takes off his tasuki.  Shiro looks at him.

“Don’t call him over!”

“I think him being in the bath house makes him crazy.”  Isamu said.  While they talked No Face swan dives into the water.  “We need to get him out of there.”

“You’re telling me.  Oh great now he’s following us.”  Shiro groans.  No Face hops out and slowly follows.  He throws the last person up and walks after Isamu and Shiro.

“You’ll have to walk from here.”  Shiro stops in front of the tracks.  Isamu hops off and walks down.

“Thanks Shiro.”

“You’d better come back, ya hear?”

“I will.”  He nods and walks down the tracks.  Shiro looks out and began to call to him.

“Isamu!  I’m sorry about the whole dope thing!  I’m sure Allura is sorry too!  I take it all back!”  Isamu kept walking down, he waves at Shiro telling him that he heard.  He saw No Face walking after Isamu.  “Hey No Face!”  Shiro growls.  “You put even one scratch on that boy you’re in big trouble!”

Isamu saw the station and runs towards it, Hunk and the bird fly after him.  He looks out and sees the train coming.

“Look, the train!”  He says happily.  No Face didn’t get out of the way in time and the waves pushed him.  Isamu walks to the entrance to the train and the man up front demanded tickets.  

“Here ya go.”  Lance took them out of his shirt.  “We’d like to go to Swamp Bottom.”  He said, the man looks at the tickets and counts.  He counts four.  Isamu turns around and sees No Face was behind him, standing there awkwardly.  “You wanna come with us?”  He asks.

No Face nods.  Isamu looks back at the man.

“He’s coming too.”  The man shreds the tickets.  Isamu and No Face walk on and the train started moving.  Isamu walked in and sat down, No Face looked around trying to find somewhere to sit so he didn’t make Isamu uncomfortable.  He noticed and pats the empty seat next to him.  “Sit here.  Behave yourself okay?”

No Face takes the offer and sat down.  Hunk and the bird watch the scenery go by, both bouncing happily.  Isamu looks over his shoulder at the two then at the scenery, it was a peaceful ride to say the least.  Also it was interesting to see the world the spirits live in.

One by one spirits leave at certain stops and the sky grew dark.  The four were the last ones on the train.  Hunk and the bird were asleep in Isamu’s lap, he was cradling them as he waited for Swamp Bottom to pull up.

* * *

Akira slowly wakes up to see Matt and Pidge sound asleep.  He sat up and crawls over to Matt.  He grabs his hand and shakes him.

“Matt, Matt wake up.”  He said.  Matt slowly wakes up, Pidge woke up too.  She smiles.

“Master Akira!  You’re okay!”

“I’m fine, where is Isamu?”  He asks.  Both siblings looked at him in shock.  “Did he go somewhere?  Where is he?  What happened?”  Pidge and Matt look at each other, then back at him.

“You blacked out… remember?”  Pidge asks.  Akira looks down.

“Yeah I remember being in darkness.”  He looks up at them again, his violet eyes lit up.  “Then I heard Isamu’s voice, he was calling out to me.  I followed it.  Next thing I know I’m here feeling better than ever.”  Both Matt and Pidge look at each other again, they both smile.

“The power of love.  It broke the curse.”  She said, Matt nods and looks at Akira.

“Isamu went to Honerva’s place to return the golden seal.  He did it to save you.”

* * *

“This gold isn’t enough to cover the damages that stupid No Face cost.”  Haggar said as she sat in a towel, her three most loyal employees were listening to her on their knees, her “baby” was stuffing his face with chocolate.  “Isamu didn’t nearly get enough gold.  When he comes back he shall be punished.”

“Uh…”  The frog starts up.  “Madam he did save us.  Isamu saved us from No Face.”  The other man who was eaten nods.

“So what?!”  Haggar snaps.  “This is all his fault!  And now he’s run away from here.  He’s even abandoned his own parents!”  She smirks.  “Those pigs are probably big enough now.”  She says.  All three men gasp.  “Turn them into bacon.”  
“Wait a minute.”  Akira walks in.

“Master Akira?!”  All the men crawl away to make room for Akira.  Haggar raised an eyebrow.

“You’re still alive huh?”  She growls.  “What do you want?”  Akira just stares at her.

“Idiot.  You still haven’t realized that something precious to you has been replaced.”  He said.  She smirks at him.

“Don’t get fresh with me young man.”  She commands.  “Since when do you talk like that to your master?”  He said nothing, just waited for her to realize it.  Haggar’s smile fades and she panics.  She grabs the gold and checks it.  One of the men takes out some too.  She looks up at Akira, he still said nothing.

Haggar looks at Hunk, she moves her hand.  His head changes, then the whole body disappears.  The three heads bounce away.  Haggar’s jaw dropped, fear ran through her body.  The heads bounce into the hallway.  Haggar slinks in her chair.

“My baby…”  The gold next to her turns to dirt.  She looks at the dirt and screams.  “NOOOO!”  She smacks it off the table and glides off.  “MY BABY!”  She cries.  The men look at the once gold filled box.

“It’s just dirt!”

Haggar runs inside her sons room and looks around desperately.

“Where’s my baby?!”  She cries as she throws all the toys and cushions out of the way.  “Where are you sweetie?!”  Haggar jumps into the pillow pile.  “Come out!  Please come out!  Where are you?!”  Akira walks in as she kept looking.  “Sweetiepie!  Come out!”

She looks over at Akira, his perfectly calm look pissed her off more than anything.  Her face grew dark.

“YOU!”  She growls, fire coming out of her mouth.  “WHERE IS HE!”  She charges at him, her hair coming out of her towel and wrapping around Akira’s neck and body.  “WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BABY?!”  Akira kept calm as Haggar tied him up and blew fire at him.

“He’s with your sister.”  He calmly replys.  Haggar’s eyes grew wide.

“Honerva?!”  The fire went out, her hair released him.  She didn’t know what to think, she wanders off and into a chair she pulled up with her magic.  She looks back at him, she got a hold of herself and smirks at him.  “Fine, you get my baby back.  But at a price.”  Haggar looks at him.

“What do you want?”

“I want you to tear up Isamu’s contract and return him and his parents to the human world.”  He said.

“Fine, but here’s the deal.”  She stares him down.  “I’ll give him one last trial, if he loses Isamu is mine.”

* * *

The train finally hit swamp bottom.  It was dark out, Isamu was sure in for a long walk home.  He and No Face got off and looked around, it was way too dark to tell where they were.  He looks at No Face and back at the area.

“Sure hope this is the right stop.”  He looks at his friends.  “Let’s go.”  No Face follows behind, Hunk was being carried by the tiny bird as usual.  They walked down the dirt road for a bit, the bird suddenly grew tired.

Hunk landed on the ground as the bird pants.  He decided to walk, or in his case crawl.  Isamu and No Face looked at the two.  He got on his knees and held his arm out.

“You can ride on my shoulder, I don’t mind.”  He says, Hunk turns away and kept walking.  Isamu gave a puzzling look but decided to keep walking.  Finally they all stopped when they saw a light in the distance coming closer.

The bird flew Hunk to Isamu’s shoulder, No Face bends down to get a better view.  Soon enough the light turned into a bouncing lamp post.  It bows at them, they in return bow.  The lamp post leads them to wherever they were heading, stopping every once in awhile to catch up.

Finally the lamp post jumped high and hung itself on a gate entrance.  Isamu walked forward, No Face had to look at it before following.  Even he thought that was odd.  They walked to the door but before they could knock it opened.

“Come in.”  Honerva calls sweetly.  Isamu took a deep breath and walks in.  No Face stood at the door waiting to be invited in.  “Come on, I don’t have all day.”  Honerva said.  Isamu looks back.

“Come on.”  He encourages No Face, he looked so scared.  Like he was unwanted.  He slowly sluncked in and Honerva shuts the door behind them.  “So you finally made it.”  She sighs.  Isamu was so confused by her behavior.  “Sit down, I’ll make some tea.”

For looking like Haggar she acted very different.  Isamu brushed that thought away and runs up to Honerva.  She was pulling a kettle out when Isamu hands her the seal.

“Excuse me ma’am.  Akira stole this from you.”

“Ah.”  She took it from him.  “You have any idea what this is?”

“Yes.”  He nods.  “It’s the golden seal, I came to apologize for Akira.  I’m sorry.”  Isamu bows, causing Hunk and the bird to nearly fall over.  Honerva rests one hand on her hip, she lets out a huff.

“You know he did split me in two, I’m still angry about that.”  Then she looks at the seal with surprise.  “What?  The protective spell is gone!”

“Oh I-I’m so sorry!”  Isamu panics.  “That slug?  I squashed it.”  He admits, that got Honerva to laugh.

“Th-That wasn’t my slug!  That was my sisters, she used it to control him.  You squashed it!”  She continues to laugh, then she smirks at Isamu.  “What happened to my spell?  Only love can break it… sit down.”  She pushes him towards the table.

“Hey can you change these two back?”  He refers to Hunk and the bird.

“Oh that spell wore off long ago.  Change back if ya want.”  They shook their heads no.

Hunk and the bird started running on a spinning wheel, stopping to pant and catch their breaths, then go back to running.  Repeat the process.  The other three were drinking tea, Honerva and Isamu chat while No Face drinks the tea quietly.

“I can’t get along with my sister, she’s so obnoxious.”  Honerva says.  “You’ve seen how tacky her home is.  We’re identical twins yet exact opposites.”  She says as she looks at her cup.  Hunk and the bird climb on the table to snag a sweet.  They eat, grab some more, and went back to the wheel.  No Face took a bite of the slice of cake he had, he was the only one eating it.

“I’m sorry she turned your parents into pigs, but there’s nothing I can do.  You’ll have to save them and Akira on your own.”  She says.  “Use what you remember about them.”

“What?”  Isamu was confused.  “Can you please give me more of a hint than just that?”  He asks.  “I-It seems like I’ve met Akira before… but it was a very long time ago.”  He says, No Face staring at his empty glass and plate… he wanted more.

“That’s a good start.”  Honerva says to Isamu.  “Once you’ve met someone you never really forget them, it just takes a while to remember them.”  Isamu looks down trying to think.  “While you think, the boys are gonna make you something.  And I want you to call me Granny from now on.”  She says.  
Honerva laughs as she works.  Hunk and the bird got tired again.

“Come on boys keep at it.”  She encourages them.  No Face was helping with the thread.  “No Face where did you learn to spin thread you’re really good at it.”  She said kindly.  Isamu was sitting in the chair with his head in his knees again.  He was frustrated.  “Now lets weave the threads together.”

“Knit one purl two knit one purl two that’s right.”  She was instructing Hunk and No Face as they attempt to knit.  Isamu walks up to Honerva all upset.

“Granny I can’t remember anything at all.”  He felt himself grow upset.  “Akira could be dead by now!  And my parents… they could’ve been eaten!”  He wipes away his tears, he’s done with crying.

“Just wait a little longer.”  Honerva cuts something and hands it to him.  “Here, it’s a bracelet.”  She said as she hands him the blue sparkling bracelet.  “It’s made from the thread your friends wove together.”  Isamu looks at everyone and nods.

“I-It’s beautiful, thank you.”  He put it on his wrist.  The windows began to clatter, Honerva smiles.

“What excellent timing, we have another guest.  Could you let him in?”

“Sure.”  Isamu nods and runs to the door.  He opens it and about cries at the sight.

Akira was standing there in his dragon form, white and gold like a flame.  Isamu runs to him in joy.

“Akira!”  He held his head and nuzzles into him.  He looks him dead in the eyes.  “I-I thought you were dead.”  He nuzzles back into him.  “Thank goodness.”  Honerva walks out and smiles at the sight.

“Aw… that’s love for you.”

“Look Granny!  Akira is alive!”  Isamu says happily.  Akira bows to Honerva, she looks at him and smiles.

“Akira I’ll forgive you for stealing my seal, but in return you must promise me to take care of this young man.”  She says, then looks over at Hunk and the bird.  “Alright you two it’s time to go home, come back and visit now.”

Hunk gave his aunt a kiss on her nose and flies to Isamu.  She looks at No Face.

“No Face, why don’t you stay here.  I could use a good helper.”  Honerva says.  No Face nods happily.  Isamu looks over at Honerva and cries.

“Granny!”  He runs up to her and hugs her tightly, knowing that this might be the last time they see each other.  “Thank you so much for everything.”

“Oh Isamu it’ll be alright.”  Honerva says.  Isamu pulls away.

“I want you to know my real name… it’s Lance.”

“Lance.  What a beautiful name.  Take good care of it.”

“I will.”  Lance nods.  He runs back to Akira.  “Bye.”  He hops on.  “Take care Granny!  Thanks for everything!”  Akira flies off, Honerva, No Face, and the lamp post waving them goodbye.

Akira flies high in the sky, Lance grabs onto Akira’s horns as they flew.  Hunk held onto Lance’s shoulder while the bird tried to grab on and was flying the best it could.  They went back to the bath house and a great pace, much faster than the train.

Then Lance was in the water again.  He was holding onto Akira but… he was now in the water.  Visions came at him.  A little blue shoe, him falling in, and him on Akira.  Lance didn’t know why this memory was coming back to him, but it must have something to do with Akira, he comes closer and tells him.

“Akira listen, I just remembered something and I think it may help you.”  Lance starts.  “When I was little I lost my shoe in a river, and when I tried to get it back I fell in.”  He looks at Akira.  “I thought I’d drown but the water carried me to shore…”  He looks back at the sky.  “I finally remember that rivers name.”

“It’s the Kogane river… that was you.  Your name is the Kogane River!”  Just then Akira’s eyes went wide, his scales fell off of his body.  Lance gasps, Akira went back into his human form.  The two fell down, linking their hands together Akira smiles at him with watery eyes.

“You did it Lance!”  He says happily.  “I remember now, I was the spirit of the Kogane River!”

“A river spirit?”  Lance asks happily, tears falling out of his eyes.

“My name is the Kogane River!”

“They filled in that river, it’s all apartments now.”

“That must be why I can’t find my way home Lance.  I remember you falling in, and I remember your little blue shoe!”

“So you were the one who carried me back to shallow water, you saved me.”  The two touch foreheads, Lance continued to cry.  “I knew you were good!”  The kept falling, or more or less gliding back to the bath house.

* * *

Outside the bath house twelve pigs were lined up and Haggar was pacing back and forth.  Everything was so quiet.  Shiro pokes his head out and looks around, he smiles and points.

“Look there they are!”  Everyone got up and cheered for Lance and Akira’s return.  Haggar looks at them as they land gracefully.  She huffs.

“I see you’ve failed to return my baby.”  The mouse flies up high and Hunk changes back to his normal self.  Haggar freaks out and runs to him.

“Mama!”

“My baby!”  She hugs him.  “Oh Hunk are you alright?  Are you traumatized?  They didn’t hur-y-you’re standing on your own, when did that happen?”

“Remember your promise!”  Akira snaps.  “You promised to take Lance and his parents back to the human world!”

“Quiet Akira!  I still get to give Isamu one final test.”  She smirks, all her workers boo her.  She looks back at them.  “QUIET!”  She snaps causing all the workers to hide.

“Stop it Mama, leave him alone.”  Hunk said.  Haggar looks back at him.  “Isamu and I had a great time!”

“B-But sweetie, I have to give Isamu one final test.”  She told her son.  “A deals a deal.”  Haggar said.

“If you make Isamu cry I won’t like you anymore.”  Hunk said, the bird nods in agreement.  She looks at her son with a pitiful look.

“HEY GRANNY!”  Lance shouts at Haggar, she looks over in confusion.

“Granny?!”

“A DEALS A DEAL!”  He shouts and crosses the bridge.  “I’ll take your stupid test.”  He said, Haggar smirks.

“You’ve got guts.  Got your contract right here.”  She looks back at her son.  “This’ll only take a minute.”  They walk to the twelve pigs.

“Don’t worry you two.”  He said to Hunk and the bird, who refused to change back.  He follows Haggar and stares at the pigs.

“See if you can tell which of these pigs are your parents.”  She said.  Lance looked at all the pigs.  “You get one shot, if you guess right you all get to go home.”  Lance nods and stares at all the squealing pigs, he gave a confused look.

“There must be a mistake, none of these pigs are my parents.”

“Really?  None of them?  Is that your final answer?”  Haggar asks, Lance looks at her then gave a confident nod.  Lance’s contract blows up in Haggar’s hand.  All the pigs turn back into the employees.

“WOAH YOU GOT IT!”  They all shout in unison.  Everyone at the bath house cheers for him.  Shiro lets out a “yes” while Allura hugs him from behind and cheers.  The siblings were throwing confetti around, all the spirits were celebrating.  Lance smiles at everyone.

“Thank you everybody!”  He says.

“Fine you win!  Get out of my sight!”  Haggar snaps, Lance looks at her and bows.

“Thanks for everything Granny.”  He says in a kind voice, she huffs and refused to look at him.  He waves everyone off.  “GOODBYE!”  He calls, everyone waves calling out goodbyes and we’ll miss you’s.  Akira held his hand out.

“Akira!”

“This way.”  Lance took his hand and ran off.

“Where are my mom and dad?”  He asks as they ran down the stairs.

“When you passed the test they woke up on the other side of the river in the human world.”  Akira explained.  “They’re there now, looking for you.”  They made it to the frog statue where the water was.

“There’s no water here.”  Lance said.  “I can cross now.”

“But I can’t go any farther.”  Akira says.  “Just keep going back the way you came, you’ll be fine.  But promise, promise me you won’t look back till you make it through the tunnel.”

“Wait, what about you?”  Lance asks.  Akira smirks.

“I’ll be fine.  I’ll go back and have a talk with Haggar, I quit being her apprentice.”  He could tell Lance was still worried, he brought him closer.  “I’ll be fine, I’ve got my name back.”

“We’ll we meet again?”  Lance asks, Akira smiles.

“I’m sure we will.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”  Akira nods, he held Lance hand out and down the stairs.  “Now go, and don’t look back.”  Lance walks down the stairs and does as he’s told.  He doesn’t look back, he slid down a pile of rocks as he ran.

“Lance!”  He heard a woman call.  Lance perks up, he knows that voice.  His mom was calling him while his dad waved him in.  “Where have you been?”

“Mom, Dad!”  He runs up to them.

“Don’t run off like that.”  She scolds.

“You can get in big trouble.”  The two walk away.

“Wait, are you two okay?”  Lance asks, it’s like they don’t remember.

“Hurry up Lance, I don’t wanna miss the movers.”  His mother calls.  Lance sighs, he turns his head to look but stopped.  He remembers Akira’s promise and walked through the tunnel.  They walked out and smile at the sight, then his dad freaks out.

“What the?!”  He runs over to the car, it was covered with leaves, he looks on the inside too.  “It’s covered in dust in here!”

“Is this someone’s idea of a joke?”  His mother asks.

“Must be.”  While the two talked Lance looked back at the building.  He wonders what just happened.  He doesn’t remember what went on back there, he remembers his parents eating next thing he knew he was lost.  Something told him deep down that something important happened but he doesn’t know what.

“Come on Lance, let’s go to our new home!”  His mother calls.  “Don’t be scared.”  She says, Lance’s eyes were glued to the building.  He was trying to remember what just happened in there.

“You’re not still afraid are you?”

“Come on sweetie, everything will be just fine.”  After his parents tried to encourage him he gave up and ran into the car.  They drove away from the building, probably will never see it again.  Lance sighs and looks out the window.

“New school and a new town… it is pretty scary.”  His father spoke up.  Lance looks down and noticed something shiny on his wrist, a blue bracelet.  With a small smile he held it close and looks back at the building before it was completely out of sight.

“I think I can handle it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I got it done! You have any other ghibli x klance crossover ideas cause I'll do them. As exhausting as this was it was a lot of fun to do. If you have any other ideas then tell me and I'll debate if I want to do them or not.


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